Final Fantasy IX: The Novelisation
by AlikiPen
Summary: Final Fantasy IX crafted as a novel. No changes, no additional content. Currently: Chapter 20 - In which Zidane orders an about face, Vivi feels all the feels, and another Black Waltz is a bit of a toolbag. Also, the only time ever Zidane uses the prehensile function of his tail. Next Update: Soon.
1. V1 Chapter 1 The Skies Above Alexandria

**Volume 1 **

**Chapter 1 **

**The Skies Above Alexandria**

Rain and sea spray, tossed in all directions by the violent winds, made the land impossible to find. Beasts entwined in the foam hissed across the darkened ocean. The boat floundered helplessly, the water battering its hull, the gusts tearing at the sail now reduced to a rag hanging in tatters from its rigging. Aboard, two passengers clutched the mast, their crimson shawls drenched through, and shivering with cold and fear. A woman kept one arm around the girl as great swells of water pushed the vessel like driftwood up onto peaks of water that rivaled mountains. Their boat collided with another swell, forcing the bow up with the water and sending the vessel into near vertical climb as the wave quickly rose. When the surge reached its pinnacle, the ship was thrown forward, falling back to the mercy of the ocean with such drive the passengers felt the wood buckle beneath them. Opposing currents, agitated by the storm, sent the boat into a spin; the barrels rattled on their ropes, the woman and the girl slipped and skidded on the deck. Still no sign of land, just unsteady waters as far as was viewable. The boat gave a jerk as another swell lifted the stern higher than the bow. The little girl slid down out of the woman's grasp; she scrambled down towards the edge managing to clutch the side with her quivering fingers before falling. Away from the woman she could see out into the sprays of the ocean, taste the salt in her mouth. Somewhere, just beyond the sheets of wild rain there was something … something. An orange glow. Another quick burst of water rose against them; behind her, the woman gave a scream.

Garnet woke. The sunset glow of tangerine highlighted the bedroom, and for a moment she thought she was still staring ahead across the raging tides. A cool, welcoming breeze on the side of her face stirred her back to full consciousness. The draught played with the delicate curtains and birds were twittering on the palace roves; the roar of the turbulent sea was replaced by their impatient melodies. She'd fallen asleep, she noticed scolding her own carelessness, in the chair by the window. On the table nearby, the teapot was no longer wafting steam. At least she had dressed before her impromptu nap, she thought to herself, and risen again in time to double check her preparations. Allowing the dream to sink away, the princess rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands and straightened up in her chair. A steam of air brought her attention to the scene outside the window, where the sun was low on the horizon. Common canaries hurried past the partially open panes, stark white against the autumnal hues of the sky. Garnet stood and stepped closer wanting to see the kingdom bathed in the sunset one more time; she pushed the panes apart completely and glanced out beyond the palace walls, past the flocks of canaries startled by one noise or another, and out to the main body of the city.

Alexandria ignored her gaze, going about its excited business below. Between two rivers, which naturally flowed from the reservoir behind the castle, were clusters of orange topped buildings. Streets weaved their way around these dwellings like confused serpents, and people hurried or dawdled or simply stood throughout them just specks from her perspective, living quiet lives.

(!)

Approaching Alexandria, the Prima Vista II was always surrounded by canaries. They circled the masthead, a beautifully carved sea-maiden, body of a women and tail of a fish, with wings, and eyes always staring out across the skies in which she flew. An important figure from an old wives' tale about bringing luck to performers. The boy didn't care for the myth, but he was grateful for the birds, because their screeching alerted him to the airship's proximity to Alexandria, allowing him enough time to hurry back through the ship's vast belly to the meeting room. The ship was a magnificent sight amongst the sparse clouds; its turrets and spires piercing the dying daylight, its propellers turning on towers attached to each of the hull, keeping the vessel aloft just above the Mist. They piloted the mightily vessel towards the cliff face, as though it sailed on the Mist like a boat on a gentle sea; as the boy passed a window on one of the lower decks, he saw the jagged mountains neighbouring the kingdom, and quickened his step.

He slid down the pole leading to the lowest deck, where it was quiet enough to hear each creak the old barge cried, and dark enough to need the assistance of lanterns. They hung on the windowless walls swinging with the motion of the ship casting shadows along the narrow passage, revealing the piles of costumes and broken props stacked there. Halfway down the pole he leapt off, his monkey like tail extended for balance, and then walked to the nearest door. The porthole revealed no light had been lit inside. He pulled the door open, abandoning the handle one inside, allowing the door to slam behind him as he carefully navigated the stairs down to the meeting point. Only a small circle of light filtered in from the hallway. _Sure is dark_ he thought to himself, removing a match from his pocket, not suspecting he would be the first to arrive. _Guess nobodies here yet._ On a small table in the exact centre of the room was a circular candelabra with six candles; enough candles to perfectly illuminate the room.

Once lit, the chamber revealed itself. Just a small room with a large open closet on one side, and another mound of disused stage props on the other. Someone, Ruby no doubt, had placed a neat hanger in the corner of the room with shirts that needed to be repaired, but which would probably remain there another month or two before anyone got around to it. The most astounding resident of this room however, at least in his mind, was the woven rug laying beneath the table, stretching almost the entire length of the floor. Etched on its surface in deep reds, pale blues and golds was the band's symbol, a large heart pierced through with a dagger, surrounded by an elaborate cross-guard from which protruded two feathered wings. At the centre of the heart, their name was proudly written in the colour of ink _Tantalus_.

"Whose there?"

The voice hailed from behind the door on the left side of the room.

"It's me," the boy with the tail replied casually, pushing his thumb to his chest, "Zidane!"

At the sound of his name, the door was opened swinging inwards on its hinges. One by one they filtered out into Zidane's view; first a red-headed boy, with odd patchwork skin, then a larger, more muscular lad, with a single triangular tooth protruding from his lower lip, and lastly a pig-like man carrying a hammer, his belly overhanging the tight leather of his trousers. Standing together in the glow of the candles, they raised their hands and stood to attention, then as if mirrors of each other, they placed their fists together over their hearts. After the signal, they relaxed again. There wasn't really any need to perform their bazaar little ritual when the boss wasn't present, but they always did.

"Hey Zidane! You sure are late!" commented Blank; his crimson hair was messy and held away from his eyes by a thick brown belt.

Zidane turned to his friend. "Sorry," he replied, and then peered into the room behind them. Unable to see anyone else waiting there, he continued "So, where's the boss?" The motion of the ship rocked the door closed.

Cinna, the pig-like creature still clutching his hammer, gave the obvious response "Ain't here yet."

With a click, the door above the stairs swung open. The boys turned their attention to the landing above the steps. An oddly shaped shadow blocked the entryway. Whomever it was took a moment before coming into the light where Zidane and the others could see them, but they were already preparing themselves, unsheathing their daggers in preparation for the fight. He was hefty being, covered in a layer of dark fur beneath colourful attire, but he was agile enough to flip down to the bottom of the staircase, before the boys could get a good look at him. When he landed he roared at them through the mouth of an elongated dragon's head, its scales rippling with the flicker of the disturbed candle light.

They boys took formation in a classic battle line in front of the beast. The dragon man had removed a short-sword from its holding across his lower back, and stood ready for attack. Zidane was the first to move; he jumped forward but kept his blade at a safe angle, and instead of striking stuffed his hand into the beast's waistcoat. A dagger, much finer than his own, had been placed there, and he gripped it tightly as the beast tried to swing him off, flipping away with the weapon still safely in hand. Cinna was close behind him, using the beast's momentary distraction as he swung for Zidane, to his advantage. From the beast's trouser pocket, he removed a small purple vial, and quickly scurried away again back to the line. He wasn't fast enough; the beast came after him in a clumsy yet precise motion, landing the blade down his chest, and sending him to the floor; the vial rolled out of his hand. Marcus lunged forward, taking his blade and thrusting with a grunt at the oversized dragon-man as he backed away, but missing by an inch.

The dragon-man gave a hearty laugh, and came hurtling towards Zidane. The boy assessed the angle of the attack in just a second, and leapt away, throwing his assailant off-balance. With a fierce thud, the man landed on his girth. The beast crawled back onto his hands and knees, and was standing again as though he'd landed on a mattress; he hopped back to a safe distance. Blade already held high, Marcus sprinted for another blow. He landed another hit to the man's chest, and was succeeded by Blank, who ran his blade across the beast's wide stomach. Letting out a dramatic growl, the dragon-man took a strike to counter Blank. The patchwork boy perceived his attack and ducked; the blade moved over his scruffy locks, and the beast tumbled to the floor, overbalancing with the shift of his weight.

Zidane seized the opportunity as the beast regained balance; he came forward, taking a slash at the dragon-man's long, false, neck. One good blow was all it took to sever the paper and wire that had gone into its construction. The mask tore, wounded origami, and fell apart, its shards falling away and landing at the man's foot. His façade removed, the man clutched at a small cut across his head, just above the rim of his goggles; Zidane had miss angled just enough to cause a tear in his boss's aviator cap. The tapir like man which now stood before them had a bright pink beard, and ears which stuck up out above his head, but he was as menacing in his stance as he had been when pretending to be a dragon hybrid. He gave a deep, over-the-top groan, and clutched his head in both hands, maintaining his grasp on his false sword.

"UGHUUA!" the noise rattled their skulls. "Oh, my head! Go easy, you guys!"

With the fight over, Zidane lapsed to his knees, panting. Across the room, Blank was leaning against the closet's concertina door; Marcus could be heard wheezing behind him, and Cinna was still sprawled on his back, a line of red paint marking where the 'blade' had 'cut' him. Zidane would never understand how they so easily overpowered guards and monsters without breaking a sweat, and yet they were exhausted by just five minutes of performance battle with Boss Baku. Their leader who had neglected the pain in his head, laughed and came towards them, throwing his blade into a nearby pile as he did so.

"Hey fools!" he said. He reached Zidane and in a gesture of fatherly affection patted the boy's gold head. "You're lookin' a lot better!" and he laughed again, a sound that resounded from the depths of his belly and swelled to fill the space around him "Gwahahaha!" He strode towards the door, stopped as if he had forgotten something and turned back towards his troupe. "Alright! Let's start this meeting already!" Baku kicked the door open again and walked inside. Without another word, his team were on their feet, hurrying one at a time into the adjacent room where their boss waited.

Having already lit the twin lamps either side of the entrance Baku had positioned himself behind a large, metal table upon which had been placed a model of Alexandria castle. The figure was looking a bit battered; only one of the four white towers wasn't chipped, and the great sword protruding from the centre had lost its shine. Zidane sat himself backwards on a chair to one side of the display; the others arranged themselves as usual, Marcus on the chair beside Zidane, Blank leaning against the wall, and Cinna hoisted up on the chest towards the back of the room. No sooner where they comfortable, than Baku began.

"Here's the plan!" he boomed. He spread his arms around the figurine of the castle to gesture its importance and continued, "Tantalus, the infamous band of daring thieves-" and he took a moment to add "that's us" should someone have forgotten "-is headin' to the kingdom of Alexandria …" seemingly from nowhere the man produced a rag-doll, her shabby head adorned with a felt crown, her smile warn and creepy. Zidane wasn't sure, but he thought he heard Cinna wince behind him. "Our mission: to kidnap the heir to the throne, Princess Garnet!"

Cinna, who had been lying across the chest, rose to stand on it instead and chimed in. "I'll take it from here, so listen up!" From seemingly nowhere, he pulled a figurine of the Prima Vista II in near perfect condition, and held it before the group. Zidane wasn't sure, but from the corner of the room, he thought he saw Blank wince.

"Our ship's about to dock at Alexandria, and when it does, we're gonna put on our costumes and perform _I want to be your Canary_, the most popular play in Alexandria!" he turned to the troll to the left of the table. "Break a leg, Marcus! 'Cause you're playin' the lead!"

"Leave the actin' to me!" Marcus replied, rising from his chair. "Of course, the real kidnappers'll be Blank and Zidane!"

Blank took his que and said "I'll distract the audience from backstage with these little buggers." As if from nowhere he produced a cage of large, beige bugs, their eyes bulging as they hopped around in their enclosure. Zidane wasn't sure but he thought he noticed Marcus wince. "I can't stand oglops…" moaned Blank. "But I'll manage, so don't worry about me. And that'll be your cue, Zidane!"

Having nothing to produce from seemingly nowhere, Zidane was tempted to comment that it would be his job to then kidnap Queen Brahne. The woman was a frequent object to the crew's mocking, and he knew it'd be funny, but the stern expression on Baku's face made Zidane think better of the timing. "Okay! That's when I kidnap Princess Garnet, right?"

Baku smiled and held out the eerie representation of the young heir. "You bet! You're gonna kidnap the most babe-ilicious beauty in all of Alexandria, Princess Garnet!"

(!)

Vivi was one of the last through the Alexandrian gates, and probably the only person not to know where they were going. Others had friends or family waiting in the middle of the entrance square, waving to them and hailing them down. The kid however was expected by no one and had travelled alone, and standing among the expanding crowds the idea of navigating the intricate kingdom suddenly made him nauseous. Sighing, he dropped his head and tried to remember anything he useful his Grandfather might have said, but nothing came to mind.

A shadow crept over the kingdom walls and across the mottle slab ground, shutting out the sunset for a moment and dulling the colour of the kid's shoes. It blinded the stone woman and caused the visitors around him to gasp in awe. Surprised, Vivi turned; the sound of propellers and the rumble of an engine found his ears just as the great airship came into view. It moved across the sky lower than Vivi had ever seen a ship before, but high enough to pass over the statues and windmills and triangular roves below. The boy stood awestruck by the sheer majesty of its presence, watching it fly to the castle a system of gyros and paddlewheels churning under its hull. At the castle in the distance, it slowed, its reflection in the Alexandrian sword growing in size as it neared, until finally it stopped over the castle courtyard, where Vivi had been told the performance would be taking place.

The scene had a likeness to the cover of a storybook; the airship and the castle bathed in the early dusk felt like the start of something. Vivi could almost see a banner, or a title rising across the two singularly most powerful objects he had ever seen.

Something big was about to happen.


	2. V1 Chapter 2 I Want To Be Your Crow

**Volume 1 **

**Chapter 2 **

_**I Want To be Your Crow**_

Vivi was knocked down by a hippo. Alexandria wasn't what he had expected; it was bigger and more diverse, and he sank into its populace like a stone in water. The hippo boy didn't even register the blow; after sending Vivi face first to the paving, he scurried down the street to where his mother was walking. They disappeared towards the castle, which Vivi could see even from his unfortunate angle, underneath the oversized brim of his hat.

"Are you awright?" the voice was tiny, and concerned, and said directly into Vivi's right ear.

A girl stood beside him, swinging her arms at her sides shuffling the skirt of a cute green dress. Startled, Vivi pulled himself off the floor, and rearranged his hat. Nothing hurt so he assumed the fall hadn't done him any harm, but before he could answer her question, the little girl had stooped to pick something up.

"Here!" she proclaimed, happily. She thrust a long strip of parchment into his hands "You dwopped your ticket. Bye-bye!"

And just like the hippo-boy, she was gone, running down the street, her pigtails trailing either side of her head. Vivi was now almost alone on the street, and he was worried he would lose the other tourists and become lost. A group of nobles were being taken to the castle by a personal herald, and Vivi had arrived at the idea to simply amble behind them. He quickened his pace, but no sooner had he reached a few houses down, than he was knocked over again, this time however both parties were sent flying. For the second time, Vivi landed splayed on his front. The rat who had inadvertently caused the collision landed square on his rear behind him.

"Oww!" he yelped, but was up again as quickly as he had fallen; Vivi rose and turned to him. One eye glared at him from a creak in a helmet that was slightly too large; the rat was no bigger, and seemed no older than Vivi. "Why you-" he stopped, as if unsure what exactly he should call Vivi, and went on with his scolding "get outta my way!"

And he was gone. Vivi was beginning to wonder if Alexandria was simply too fast for him.

Vivi rediscovered the odd, over-dressed crowd from Treno further up the street outside a pub which looked as if a giant bug had flown into the space above the door. The herald, a bird in a maroon jacket, was signalling to them by blowing on a horn. "Honourable nobles of Treno … Castle Alexandria is this way!" Two children outside the pub were staring up at the finery of the gentry with awestruck expressions. When the herald tooted his horn again to lead the nobles on, the children hurried along ahead, pausing to ensure they did not go too far.

The ticket booth stood in a square next to the inn in front of the castle moat, a squat structure dominated by successful businesses. Outside the inn, a trio of girls were playing jump-rope, and a couple were perusing the selection of blossoms available at a flower stall, but otherwise the square was vacated. The booth was decorated in bold reds and golds, with a canvas top not dissimilar to Vivi's own cap had it stood upright. An organ was attached to the back of the ticket stand, but the keys looked far too large and too high for anyone to actually play, leaving Vivi with the notion it was perhaps just for show. He approached the character at the counter, who gave the kid a welcoming smile.

"Can I help you son?" he asked, peering down at Vivi.

Vivi hesitated, fumbling for the ticket he'd placed inside his pocket, and without speaking held it out for the gentleman to see. Taken aback, the ticket-master leaned over the desk to inspect the stub.

"What's this? There's something odd about this ticket," he said. He began to shake his head. "Why it's another fake! I've seen so many today." He waved the useless parchment away; the boy took a few moments to examine the ticket himself.

_Come see the all-time classic love story, __**I Want to Be Your Crow**_ _A tragic tale of destiny, cursed memories, dreams, life and death …_

It took another quick scan for Vivi to realise the obvious issue, but when the mistake was clear, he sagged over like an old pillow.

"Nooooo!"

"Now, now. Don't cry, I know how you must feel," responded the ticket-master, kindly. A thought struck the old man's mind, and a sympathetic smile lifted the corners of his beard; he removed something from his pocket and placed them down on the counter, sliding them into Vivi's gaze. "Here, I'll give you these. Do try to cheer up now, hmm?"

Tetra Master cards; three of them, low level; a goblin, a fang and a skeleton. Vivi already had these types, and he didn't feel less disappointed by their appearance, but he appreciated the ticket-master's kindliness and received them. Perhaps he didn't cover his sorrow as well as he'd hoped, because the gentleman continued.

"Talk to Alleyway Jack to learn more about cards. Good luck, lad!"

Vivi walked away unsure of what to do with himself, the blow of not being able to see the play lingering like a bad cold. He had a little money for an inn, and he was starting to get hungry, but he couldn't afford the rooms at the big inn in the square, which was probably full to bursting anyway, and the tavern he'd passed wasn't cheap either. He'd been told that there were less expensive places in the less central areas. With nothing else to do, Vivi set out to find a bed for the night. The best place to start, he thought, was the alley he had spotted near the skipping girls.

Vivi, for the third time that day, tripped. Misjudging the jut of a cobblestone half-way down the alley, he stumbled over his own feet and landed with a thud which echoed down the narrow street. A man on a step-ladder, who had been nailing a 'For Sale' notice above a closed off basement staircase, let out a "Blast it!" and scurried down the rungs as Vivi got to his feet again.

"Hey! You made me miss you little klutz!" he said, shaking his body like a child having a tantrum. Satisfied with the terrified expression on Vivi's face, he hopped back up the ladder, and pulled the sign straight, hammering in the final clasps with a few more clouts of his hammer. "Whew. That should do it." He returned to the ground, looked up at his work and nodded, then stretched his arms wide while arching his back. "Well, it's been a long day!"

As if Vivi hadn't existed, the sign-maker, head held high, wandered casually back towards the square, and disappeared behind a bend in the ally. His ladder was still perched up against the wall where his sign swung precariously. There was a business plague on the lowest rung that read _Dante's Signmakers_ followed by an address which had been worn away. Vivi made a note to himself to avoid the establishment should ever he come across it. No sooner had Dante the signmaker strutted away, than another figure, as though he had been waiting dashed out from the shadows. Vivi recognised him instantly because of his helmit, as the rat who'd pushed him over earlier.

Checking that Dante was well gone, and scanning the immediate area for any other people, the rat hurried over to Vivi.

"Hey you! Shrimp! You're the one with the phony ticket, ain'cha?" he started off at a whisper but had increased his volume to a natural level by the end of his sentence. "I saw the guy tell you it was fake!"

Vivi considered lying to him, but he couldn't think of a reason to, especially if this strange boy had been spying on him.

"Y-yeah, it's fake."

The rat boy smiled and leaned in close to Vivi's ear.

"I'll let you see the show if you become my slave! Well, whaddya say?"

Vivi heisted caught between the notion of not wanting to be someone's slave, and wanting to see the show at the castle. In the end, the idea of at least having a companion tipped the scales in the latter's favour.

"Alright!"

"Awesome! Now for your first assignment!" The boy certainly didn't waste any time. "You go stand over there and see if anyone's comin'!" and he indicated to the bend in the alley.

Vivi obeyed; he had agreed to be a slave after all. As he ran to scan for passers on one end, the rat-kid checked the status on the other.

"All clear?" he called back.

"Yeah, it's clear!" Vivi reported. The street was abandoned as far as Vivi could tell, but he hadn't ever been a look-out before and he was worried he'd missed something.

"Awesome! Engage according to mission parameters!"

Vivi was about to announce he had no idea what those were, but the rat sprung into action before he could speak, running to the ladder, and picking it up. With a strength he didn't look capable of, he held the steps horizontal over his head and walked the wood through his hands until it was comfortably balanced. Without another word he hurried away again, to the darker end of the alley leading away from the palace. Vivi pelted after him.

The alleyway led out onto a peaceful street of humble housing. Somewhere close, Vivi could hear the gentle flow of water; they were close to one of the rivers.

"Over here! Don't fall behind!" the rat called. "Into the steeple!"

At the end of the street where the land slumped down with the river was a small bell-tower. Vivi followed the rat inside. The circular church clearly wasn't used anymore; it was void of pews or an altar, and it didn't seem big enough for any large ceremonies anyway. Beautiful stain-glass windows still gave the disused space some light and colour, and they were kept clean enough that Vivi pondered the prospect that the rat-boy lived there. A stone tube ran from floor to ceiling in the centre of the steeple, casing a ladder which led to the tiny bell Vivi had noticed on his way in.

"Now we're gonna climb up this tower," the rat-kid told him. He stood aside, still holding the ladder above his head. "It's very dangerous. You go first."

Beginning to wish he hadn't agreed to the rat-kid's terms, Vivi walked slowly to the belly of the tower. The ladder ended what seemed like miles above, at a circle of light shining in from around the skirt of the bell. Vivi glared up, swallowing hard, and was about to tell the rat-kid about his qualm when he heard a strange sound. Something moved near the bell, momentarily cutting off a portion of the twilight sky. Suddenly, it came hurtling towards Vivi, a shadow growing larger, and before Vivi could react, the creature had landed square on his face, causing Vivi to buckle and fall onto his hind.

"Oww!"

The creature now stood in the tower's archway. It was cat like in its shape, but it walked on its back legs. Vivi thought it looked apologetic, its narrow eyes, really nothing more than slits, angled down with embarrassment, its cherry nose twitching awkwardly. Atop its head an orange ball bobbed back and forth, and it had a pair of pink wings flapping on its back; it looked like a combination of a feline and a bat – which did explain why it had fallen from a bell tower, Vivi supposed, bats did that didn't they? The rat-kid started laughing.

"Ahahaha! What the heck was that!"

Vivi stood up and backed away, partly so his friend could see the creature, and partly so the creature could leave the tower. It came running out after him, faced him, and with a bow, said "Sorry 'bout that, kupo!" It's voice was high-pitched, and uncertain.

"That's Kupo. He's a moogle," explained the rat-kid, casually. Vivi had heard of them before, but he'd never actually seen one.

"Kupo!"

"And this is slave number one," the rat-kid said. "Try to get along, okay?"

"Kupo! Pleased to meet you!"

"Alright, time for some upward mobility!" proclaimed the rat-kid. Forgetting his earlier decision to have Vivi take the hazardous journey first, the rat-kid moved to the tower. He repositioned the ladder, holding it in one hand vertically behind his back. With only one arm to steady himself he jumped upon the rungs leading to the bell, and somehow began to climb. His voice echoed down the tower once he'd reached the top.

"Okay, come on up, slave!"

"Kupo …? You here?"

Vivi spun to see who had entered the steeple behind them, panicked that someone had caught the boys up to mischief, but it was only another moogle; this one donned a leopard print coat, and was carrying a miniature travel bag stuffed to bursting. He, or she, Vivi supposed, spotted Kupo standing opposite Vivi and walked over with a smile.

"Kupo! Stiltzkin! Why that getup?" asked Kupo, startled. A sad expression overcame him, and his little whiskers twitched. "You leaving, Kupo?"

"Yeah," Stiltzkin replied, "and this time I might be away for a long time."

"I'll miss you, kupo," Kupo said sadly, his bob now hanging mournfully between his eyes.

"Now don't you worry. I'll write," Stiltzkin assured him, a smile broad on his tiny face. That seemed to satisfy Kupo, who nodded.

"Well, I'm off, take care." The moogle started to walk away, but stopped, suddenly remembering something else he had to say. "Oh, and say hi to Mosh in the castle for me." And with that he waved to Kupo, leaving the steeple at a leisurely pace.

"Was that a friend of yours?" Vivi asked.

"Yes, Kupo. A very special one, Kupo!"

"Hey, Slave!" the rat-kid's voice rumbled down through the tower again. Vivi had been so caught up in the scene of parting friends unfolding before him, he'd forgotten entirely about his own new companion waiting at the top of the bell tower. "I thought I ordered you up here!"

Startled, Vivi hopped onto the ladder, and carefully but swiftly moved up the rungs. It hadn't been as high as his perception had let him to believe. At the top, Vivi could see out over the angled rooftops, right to the wall of the castle. The sun had half vanished now, and speckles of starlight were beginning to emerge from a purple twilight over the castle towers.

"Alright, the play's gonna start if we don't hurry!" the rat-kid said, and jumped down onto the roof of the steeple; Vivi followed him.

Between the steeple roof and the roof of the house behind it, someone had laid two planks joined together by string. With the ladder once more positioned over his head, the rat-kid scurried across the boards to the top of a dormer window on the adjoining home. The board rattled and creaked under his nimble feet, and Vivi wasn't sure his own large soles could make the trip. The rat-kid, already standing now on the spine of the roof, was staring at him expectantly.

"Come on!" he yelled, "Get over here!" He contemplated Vivi's wide, glowing eyes, and sighed. "Lemme guess … You're afraid of heights, aren't you?" Vivi nodded, slowly. "It's okay! Just pretend you're on the ground!"

Trying to place an image of cobbled road in his mind, Vivi straightened his hat, and clutched it tightly, and stepped cautiously onto the board. They gave an angry cry of disapproval, but they held. Step-by-step, Vivi made his way across thinking about the ground, and thinking about the play, and trying to paying no heed to the groans of the boards as they bowed under him. For a few steps, he didn't realise he'd made it to the other side, and was looking into the irritated expression of his new companion.

"Come on, already! We're runnin' outta time!" he said, and hurried along the spine, to another set of boards acting as a bridge to another house. Without effort he bounded across, wielding the ladder like some precious battle flag, and pausing to wait for Vivi on the other side. Again Vivi hesitated, taking an unwise glance at the street below, and remembering how unsteady his feet were, even when he wasn't nervous. "Not again …" moaned the rat-kid. "Don't worry! It won't fall!"

Again, Vivi tried to image he was walking on steady, solid ground, but these boards were more haggard than the last, and they didn't just creak and grumble, they splintered, and they wobbled every step Vivi took. Half-way across, Vivi felt the planks tilt too far, and loose what stability they had ; a loud snap rumbled up through his feet, and he knew they were falling. In the last seconds, he took another step closer to the roof, and as the boards tumbled to the streets below, Vivi leapt, landing on the dormer the other side, because apparently some unknown force still liked him. He landed one foot on the spine, the other on the slant, unbalanced and was once again on his bottom. At least, he thought to himself, adrenaline coursing through him, he wasn't a stain between cobbles. The rat-kid let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Hahaha … I guess it fell." He shrugged, "No point in worrying now, right?" Vivi supposed that was true.

As they walked along the system of rooftops like a pair of mice, Vivi noticed that many residents liked to store their possessions in their chimney stacks. The people obviously weren't rich, there were only small hoardings of gil and an odd potion, but still the behaviour interested him. At another makeshift bridge operating between a set of terrace housing and the third floor of a decrepit old building which no longer had a top, the rat kid turned to Vivi in alarm.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" he said. "I don't even know your name!"

"Vivi."

"So your name's Vivi, huh? Kinda funny name …" he laughed but not cruelly. "My name's Puck! Pleased to meetcha!"

Vivi hadn't even considered the boy's name; they'd moved so fast since their meeting that he hadn't had a moment to ask. He was glad Puck had finally done so; Vivi hadn't had a friend before, and he was happy to know a little more about his comrade. Puck turned and hurried onwards, down the stairs of the abandoned house and out a second story window on the other side; Vivi tagged happily along after him.

They arrived at the palace moat beyond which were the stone turrets of the wall. The moat was actually very narrow at this point. Scaffolding had been put up around one of the turrets where the stone was being replaced, leaving a large unfinished gap straight onto royal ground, but there weren't any workmen or guards around; probably they had been called away to the play.

"Whew … We finally made it!" Puck proclaimed. He judged the distance between the rooftop and the scaffolding, and then threw the ladder between them. It landed perfectly at a gentle slope, propped up by the surface of the scaffolding and kept steady by the angle of the roof. Puck ran across, and turned on the scaffolding to peer down at Vivi still stood on the roof. "After this wall, we'll be inside the castle! C'mon, let's go!"

Spurred by his rising excitement at his new friend, and his getting to see the performance after all, Vivi smiled, his eyes shining, and hastened across the ladder.


	3. V1 Chapter 3 Tantalus Proudly Presents

**Volume 1**

**Chapter 3 **

**Tantalus Proudly Presents **

The moons hung like festival decorations above the castle, shining their azure and crimson hues onto passing clouds. In the Palace forecourt, the Prima Vista II, highlighted by the surrounding lanterns, looked even larger than it was. The musicians tucked in their cloth covered platform, were tuning their instruments and practising difficult segments of the score, filling the space with odd toots and twangs. The nobles waiting to view the performance were talking excitedly amongst themselves in the stands . No one heard Puck and Vivi as they scrambled behind the last row of chairs to the middle of the line just in time for everything to kick off. Vivi had just settled himself after their hearty journey on the roves, when the nobles faded to silence, their chatter overtaken by a chorus of clapping from around the stadium. With a quick, mischievous glance at each other, Vivi and Puck joined in.

Above the throngs of watchers, on a private balcony, Queen Brahne was more energised than anyone about the play. Her sausage lips, painted violet, curled up into an ugly smile, which lifted the heft of her speckled cheeks almost to her eyes, hidden beneath an ornamental hat. All means of thrilled noises escaped her in the final moments before the play was to start, and she kept her fan open, because the stage lights on her broad frame were sure to make her too hot. Beside her, Garnet wasn't paying attention to anything but the folds of her skirt on her lap. There was still time to change her mind, there was still time to alter the plan, to try instead to speak to her mother, but if she didn't go that night she'd loose her only opportunity. Guilt and cause argued in her mind, and she lowered her head, closing her eyes to shut away the world around her just for a moment. Behind the queen, a man dressed in his armour, the head of the Knights of Pluto watched the princess with a worried eye. He scanned the area around her for any obvious signs of danger, assassins on the roof, hooligans attempting to scale the balcony, but when he saw none he nodded to himself and straightened the sword he held ceremoniously, blade-up in front of him.

The lights around the musicians' balcony darkened. The knight signalled for the play to start by bringing his blade down to reflect the candle-light. A fanfare began, permeating the forecourt in cheerful tones. From underneath the musicians' platform, geysers of fireworks popped to life, sending yellow sparks into the air, causing the crowds to wail with joy, and stand up from their seats to give extra applaud. Green streaks of light shot over them, whooshing and fading quickly into the night. Dazzled, the queen leaned forward in her sofa, her mouth agape, green light reflecting in her eyes. Another burst of colour sparked from underneath the platform, and the podium housing the musicians started to lift as if rocketed by the lights themselves. The stage appeared from under it, an ancient castle rising out from nowhere. A gasp escaped Vivi so loud it caught the attention of the noble woman sitting in the chair in front of him. She gave him a quick, uncertain glance, but then turned her interest to the overzealous child in the seat beside her, now bouncing up-and-down. The knight, pleased with himself and status of security, smiled and leaned on the hilt of his sword, unaware of the tiny tear the blade made in the rug. His eyes wondered back to the princess, and his grin fell. Her eyes were still downcast, her head turned away from the spectacle to the empty space near her ear. Meanwhile, her mother had taken to dancing, giggling at the display, spinning and waving her fan like an overweight cabaret star.

The music softened, and the fireworks ended, and Baku, dressed in a royal robe, walked onto the stage as the theatre-lights brightened around him. He gave a long, low bow to the audience, and then his voice bounded through the spectators who stopped their clapping.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Tonight's performance is a story that takes place long, long ago. Our heroine, Princess Cornelia, is torn from her lover, Marcus. She attempts to flee the castle only to be captured by her father, King Leo. When our story begins, Marcus, having heard of this, crosses swords with the King." Baku dramatically raised his hand to the royal balcony. "And now, Your Royal Majesty, Queen Brahne, Your Highness, Princess Garnet …" he lifted both hands to the crowd 'noble ladies and lords, and our rooftop viewers, Tantalus proudly presents _I Want to Be Your Canary_!

Baku bowed a second time, and the music for the first scene began to play. The lights were dimed as he hurried to his position, and the boys waiting in the wings, quickly prepared for the play, and everything that would follow. A spotlight focused in on them; Zidane was knelt on one knee, head low over an exposed blade with Cinna and Blank either side of him.

"Bereft of father! Bereft of mother!" Blank said with theatrical sadness. "Marcus! Thou hast lost even they love!"

"Fortune hath escap'd thee! For what end shaft thou live?" Cinna added.

Zidane took his queue, pushing up of his knee to raise the sword high in one hand like a war bacon. "For the sake of our friend, let us bury our steel into the heart of the wrenched King Leo!"

Simultaneously, his comrades shouted "Aye!"

At a practised pace, the trio ran onto the main area of the stage where thunder was roaring, and lightning flashing in the backdrop behind the cardboard castle. From the castle entrance they rounded to where Marcus was standing opposite King Leo, two rhino guards at his flanks.

"We shall back thee, Kinsman!" cried Blank. Marcus shook his head in disagreement.

"Pray, sheath thy swords! This villain is mine alone!" he replied, his eyes never leaving his enemy.

"Nay, kinsman!" Cinna said. "For I, too, have lost a brother to this fiend!"

"What ho?" King Leo laughed. "Out, vermin! Away! Thou darest bare thy sword before the King! All who stand in my way will be crush'd!" Marcus unsheathed his blade, the sound intensified by someone rubbing two sheets of metal together off stage.

"Treacherous Leo," Zidane began in disgust, "my kinsman's suffering shall not be in vain! For I shall instruct thee in his incomparable pain!"

Zidane began the battle with a display of fake magic, signalling to the guys backstage by touching the hilts of his twin daggers together, and saying "Medeo!" He jumped, arm raised into the air as if casting the spell. A large, lethal ball flew out from the crevice above the sage, streaming colourful ribbons tied to its sides. It landed on Baku, who feigned a wince, and burst like a piñata realising vibrant smoke over the line of villains. The crowd gasped in amazement and cheered. Marcus stepped forward next dealing a quick blow to the Rhino on King Leo's left, making an over-the-top grunt. The rhino gagged, and flopped down the ground, twitched but then fell still. Blank, took out the second rhino guard in much the same way, leaving only King Leo, Marcus's sworn enemy standing to fight, sword raised high. He charged forward, shouting "Taste steel!" and slashed at Marcus, receiving jeers and gasps from the crowd. Marcus played on their sympathies, by clutching at his arm, where sham blood now dripped.

With a wave of his hammer, Cinna gave the next signal to the backstage crew. "Pyro!" he cried, and sharply brought his arms down again. Red smoke billowed up from the woodwork, giving the illusion that Baku had been set aflame. He moaned in agony, and the embers trickled away. In the time it took King Leo to recover, Zidane brandished his daggers, and slashed at the large man, flipping away to avoid a counter; Blank followed suit landing a lower hit than Zidane had, and narrowly missing a strike to the face. Rumbling with rage, Baku, pounded his legs calling "poly!" to the heavens, and setting the backstagers to action once again. Stars gathered around Blank, flowing in dark blue streams, and clustering into a ball above his ruby mane. The ball flared with purple and jade, and someone out of view ran a stick across a set of chimes. The light coursed down onto Blank, who yelped with displeasure, but shook the pain off, his character stubborn and strong. Angered by the attack on his friend, Zidane came in for another attack, giving Marcus a moment to angle in the final blow. He struck the man, as practised, on the chest, causing Baku to drop his weapon, to clutch mournfully at his wound, and stagger away to the stairs, abandoning the fight.

"Arrg … Grr…" he cried, half furious, and half agonised. He mounted the steps with a staggered gait, eager to run but too wounded to go quickly. When he reached the castle top, he called down to his rivals. "Thou hast not seen the last of me, Marcus!"

"Come back!"

After spitting the words, Zidane hurried to chase the King, but in a twist that sent the audience reeling in surprise, Blank jumped in his way. Infused with the need to catch the evil villain, Zidane slashed his sword at his friend; the red-head hopped up the staircase, his weapon drawn.

"Consider this, Zidane! If Prince Schnieder were to marry Princess Cornelia, peace would reign over both their kingdoms!"

"Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!" Zidane retorted.

He continued up the stairs, this time in pursuit of his friend, now a traitor to their cause; Blank hurried to the top of the castle, and stopped to face Zidane there. Their swords met with a resounding crash. Zidane withdrew the blade quickly to swing at his counterpart again, but Blank shied away from the blow with a skilled movement, and countered aiming for Zidane's feet. Careful and precise, Zidane leapt into the air to avoid the slash. His landing forced Blank to move further along the wall; Zidane hit high, but Blank ducked away; swiftly Zidane swung the blade again, overcome with wroth for his brother, Blank flipped out of his reach. Their swords clashed again, as they swung for each other at the same time. Blank avoided one more strike, and then sprung over the wall, down onto the stage below and began to run to the stands.

"Come back here!" Zidane cried, hurtling after him.

The fight of the brothers was always a popular scene, because of the tragedy surrounding their relationship, and it was one they needed to make the most of now. Zidane pursued Blank down to the stands, and across onto a narrow platform underneath the balcony where the nobles and the queen could easily see them.

"En garde!"

"Expect no quarter from me!"

Zidane followed Blank's lead composing a fight with him from a set of basic moves which could be adapted depending on how the crowd reacted. The motion of Black's sword and body would instruct Zidane on what to do next, but their reactions needed to be in perfect sync. They ducked, leapt and flipped out of the way of their opponents' blade, moving back and forth along the platform so all the nobles could witness the fight, allowing their swords to occasionally crash together dramatically before resuming the onslaught. After a few minutes, feigning exhaustion, Blank exclaimed "We shall finish this later!"

"Come back here!"

They ran towards the castle, to a small servant's door near the stands, and after a quick glance at the balcony to check they weren't being observed, crept inside.

(!)

"Argh!"

"Ungh!"

"Ooof!"

"Unghaa!"

Taking out the guards was always the easy part; a kick to the stomach and a quick bash to the back of the head with the hilt of a dagger was enough to knock out the knights lazing inside the knight's privy. Swiftly and quietly, Zidane and Blank removed the armour from the unconscious guards, and shuffled into the metal themselves, concealing their identities beneath old plating. When he'd finished donning his outfit, Blank let out a sneaky laugh. "Hehehe! Finished changing, Zidane?"

Zidane was staring at the sweaty interior of the knight's helmet. "Yeah, but this helmet," he said giving it another quick sniff, and yanked the hat away in disgust, covering his nose. Whatever that knight was washing his hair with couldn't have been getting him any women. "It kinda smells." And he tossed the helm onto a nearby table; it thudded on the polished wood, and reflected the shimmer of the candle on the wall nearby.

"What are you talkin' about! My helmet totally reeks!" moaned Blank, shuffling the metal cap on his head. "My armour's way too big … my back's real itchy …" he tried to stick his hand down the back of his chest plate, and went on to repeatedly lift his legs, "the boots are wet … my gloves are all slimy …" here he paused to show Zidane the slippery insert of his glove "There's cookie crumbs in my pockets-"

"Okay, I get the picture," interrupted Zidane. Though he was amused by his brother's outlandish display, he was aware of the time restraints. They only had a couple of scenes to execute this part of the plan, to both drug Garnet and plant the oglops; if they fouled this up on account of Blank's intolerance they'd be in for it with Baku. "You still have the package, right?"

"Don't worry! I won't screw up!"

An oglop, which had been concealed with the others somewhere on Blank's person, came free of its confines and began to bound happily around the room. From the ground it could jump almost Zidane's entire height, and it made a strange warbling noise. Annoyed, Blank turned and caught the little beast between his slimy gloved hands, and held it upside down by its spindly legs. The insect silenced itself, playing dead just in case Blank decided he wanted a quick snack.

"Alright! First, I'll go pour some sleep potion into Princess Garnet's teacup," announced Zidane.

"And I've got a special something for the lovely queen!" replied Blank, lifting the bug and giving it a little shake in Zidane's direction. He hurried over to the guards slumped cold on the tiles near their lockers in just their matching undergarments. "Hehehe. They're sleeping so soundly!" he mocked the tone of a parent commenting on a sleeping baby. Neglecting the bodies, he walked out the door to the hallway; Zidane quietly followed him, focusing on the task at hand.

Outside, the hallway split in three directions. The red carpet lining the elaborate tiles, stretched up a staircase, and divided both left to the door Zidane and Blank had first come through, or right further into the palace.

"According to recon," began Blank, his tone much more serious now, "the royal box should be right above these stairs!"

"Got it!"

A chorus of saddened cries erupted from the audience outside. Both Zidane and Blank turned to the door, suspecting which scene had just ended. Cinna's character had just met his end.

"Uh-oh! The scene where Marcus sneaks into Cornelia's chamber is about to start!" cried Blank. "Let's get this over with before the finale, okay?"

Zidane didn't take the time to answer, but hastened instead to the stairwell twisting up to the royal box. Above, the path split again to the balcony door on the right and another set of doors on the left, which if Zidane remembered correctly, would take him to the private chambers. As he was rounding the last of the steps, the left hand doors opened; suspecting it was another guard, Zidane didn't take much notice. On the upper landing however, he came to a grinding halt, almost rolling over himself when a young woman dressed in a white hooded jacket came running towards him. Startled by his sudden appearance, the girl in the cowl, stopped also. She wasn't a guard, that was for damn sure, but Zidane couldn't see her face beneath the low cover of her hood. _Hmm? She sure is dressed funny…_ The thought seemed ridiculous given what he himself was wearing, but Zidane was taken aback. He leaned down, trying to circumnavigate the bazaar ensemble, wondering if perhaps, she too, was a thief.

"Umm… would you please let me pass?" she kept her head and voice low, and spoke with a sheepish politeness.

In truth Zidane hadn't realised he was standing in her way. He contemplated the request for a second, but eventually shifted himself to the other side of the landing to allow her through, catching a glimpse of her dark eyes as he did. A memory churned in his mind, something familiar he couldn't place, about the shape of her chin and the colour of her eyes, and as she walked past, he jumped suddenly back into her path.

"Wait. Hold on a sec!" he leaned in close again, and she shied her head back to avoid his gaze. Zidane was certain he knew her from somewhere; he knew girls and he wouldn't forget a pair of eyes like those. "Haven't we met before?"

"No, I do not know you …" she shook her head impatiently.

"Hmm …" Zidane walked around her as she stood, seeking any other proof to substantiate his growing suspicions. He came back to face her, and his tone naturally changed to one fringed with flirtation. "Maybe you're right … I'd never let someone as pretty as you get away." He was sure now; he knew where he'd seen those eyes, that smooth chin. Calmly, he spoke again "Say, you wouldn't-"

"Hey, what's goin' on Zidane?"

Blank, having witnessed the random appearance of the girl from below, came hurtling up the stairs to ensure Zidane wasn't neglecting his job to flirt around instead. The girl became suddenly flustered.

"I … I must go!"

She barged past Zidane, sending him into a spin on the polished tiles; half way down the stairs she did the same to a startled Blank, who landed on the carpet after a twirl a ballerina would have been proud of. Cursing his brother, Zidane hared down the stairs.

"Who the heck was that!" Blank asked.

Not stopping, Zidane answered him "Get up, Blank! That was Princess Garent!" he hopped over the splayed form of Blank on the floor in pursuit of her.

"Are you serious!"


	4. V1 Chapter 4 Decisive Action: Search for

**Volume 1 **

**Chapter 4 **

**Decisive Action: Search for the Princess!**

They were called the Jesters of the Moon, but only because the single way to tell them apart was by the colour of their clothes. One twin wore red, and the other blue, just like the twin moons of Gaia, and they were as mysterious and otherworldly as their celestial counterparts. Zorn and Thorn found one another in the castle entrance hall. Neither one had been successful. A portrait of the queen in her younger days glared down at them from the mezzanine landing. The twins turned to each other, worry lines forming creases in their pale painted faces.

"We are in trouble!" "Trouble we are in!" Their shouts echoed through the vacated stairwell.

"This is terrible!" Zorn said.

"Our heads Queen Brahne will have!" his twin agreed, urgency rattling his tone.

Mirroring one another they jumped up, as if some two-headed-snake had bitten both their hinds. "We must hurry!" "Hurry we must!"

Up on the mezzanine, the twins separated each taking a different side of the gallery above. They passed the square, a crimson blur on the right and a cobalt streak on the left, their long sleeves each depicting one house of a playing-card deck, flapped about, and flailed between the barrister rails. Having journeyed the distance at exactly the same pace, the twin jesters met again at the other end of the hall.

"We are in trouble!" "Trouble we are in!" they declared to one-another, and ran side-by-side through the archway leading to the private stairwell, but where Thorn halted at the staircase, Zorn continued past the knight's quarters to the door at the end of the hall.

"The right way that is not!" said his red-clad twin, impatiently.

Zorn had registered his error just a moment before, but he did not wish to look foolish; he slipped into a non-chalet expression, and calmly turned to face Thorn.

"I know that is not the right way!"

"Really, do you?" asked Thorn, sceptically.

"I really do!"

"Wonder, I sometimes do," said Thorn, turning to give the wall a thoughtful glance, and a tilt of his head.

"N-now is not the time to wonder!" proclaimed Zorn, remembering suddenly why they had been dashing about the castle in the first place.

"We must hurry to Queen Brahne!" "Hurry to Queen Brahne, must we!"

The stairs were too narrow for the jesters to take together, so Thorn hurried up first, followed not a step later by his twin. Above, Thorn turned left to pass through into the private chambers, driven by habit, because that was where Queen Brahne was usually to be found. Zorn, on the other hand, went the opposite way stopping when he realised his brother was no longer ahead of him. Beyond the doorway he could hear the Queen commenting on some aspect of the performance, so he knew she was still out on the balcony.

"That is not the right way!" he called.

Having noticed his mistake seconds previous to Zorn's remark, but feeling a need to maintain his pride, Thorn stiffened his back and spun on his heel to face his twin.

"N-not the right way, I know!"

"Do you really?" questioned Zorn, squinting with suspicion at the other jester.

"Know I really do!"

Zorn turned away from him again to his face contorted with the disbelief he had in his brother's statement.

"Th-the time to wonder, now is not!" cried Thorn. His thoughts were thrown suddenly back to the task at hand, to the pleasant feeling of his head attached to his neck.

"Hurry to see her majesty we must!" "We must hurry and tell her majesty!"

The jesters hared out onto the balcony calling to the Queen to garner her attention away from the play, but the woman was wrapped up in the dialogue and if she heard them she did not show it.

"Your Majesty!"

"See the Queen, we must!"

The knight, most irritated to see and hear the pair on an otherwise lovely evening moved into their path, as the twins hurried to see their queen.

"Her Majesty is busy," he told them sternly, waving a finger at them. "Come back later!"

"Is it an emergency?"

The general stood on the opposing side of the balcony's upper tier, lashings of chestnut hair curling around her face. Her voice was calm, but fringed with an air of annoyance, and her words captured the hope of twins, who brightened like children who might get a sweet. Neglecting the knight, Thorn hurried over, joined swiftly by his brother.

"An emergency it is!"

"A veritable, emergency of terrible urgency!"

"Very well," replied the general, the authority rang not only in her words but in her posture, in the proud way she held her shoulders back, and chin high.

"We'll be very grateful!" "Very grateful, we'll be!"

_Grrr! Curse that Beatrix! Always trying to one-up me! _ thought the knight. He watched as the jesters swarmed to her feet like puppies receiving a snack.

"So, what exactly is the problem?" Beatrix asked them. The knight strained in to hear their answer.

"Her Royal Highness …" began Zorn, and fell into a frantic whisper which the knight was unable to decipher.

"Princess Garnet…" continued Thorn, but again he trailed off in volume. The only indication he was speaking at all, was the odd inclination of Beatrix's head to establish she had understood.

"… is in danger!" they bellowed together, so loud and alarmed Beatrix turned her head away.

"I see," she answered. "Wait right there."

Leaving the jesters on the upper tier, Beatrix carried herself elegantly to the queen; her damaged eye, kept underneath a lilac sash, was turned to the knight, so she did not see him glaring at her, seething at her higher-than-thou attitude. The queen was still taken by the performance, where Markus was making irrational promises to another character … Cornelia or Corania, Beatrix thought. The large woman was waving her arms about in surprise. Catching her attention with a throat clearing cough, Beatrix signalled her respect by bringing her forearm up to her chest. As the general of the Queen's army, she had earned the right not to have to bow.

"No interruptions!" snapped the queen. "Can't you see I'm watching the show!"

"Your Majesty," began Beatrix, calmly, "I'm afraid Princess Garnet has-"

Queen Brahne cut her off with a contemplative sigh. "Ah yes … She did leave her seat a while ago."

"Your Majesty," Beatrix resumed, "it seems that Princess Garnet has run off with the Royal Pendant." That caught the ruler's attention. Her voice rose by three or four octaves and she slapped the fan down on the balcony wall.

"Well, of all the… What could she be thinking!" flustered, she flapped the now battered fan at her cheeks, and despite the fact that the general stood just an inch or so to her left, she yelled "General Beatrix!"

"Your Majesty!" she responded, saluting again, her ears ringing with the decibels of the queen's call.

"And, Captain … uh …"

Sensing his presence was required, the knight descended to the lower tier to greet his queen with a dutiful salute. Her Majesty appeared to be struggling with his name; understandable, he thought. From what he had been able to hear, the Princess, her only daughter was in trouble. Of course she would misplace a few important details, anyone would, even a noble leader.

"Steiner!" he offered.

"Captain Steiner!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" and the knight saluted again for good measure.

Pleased, Steiner peered for a moment at Beatrix, but her face had become stoic as she waited for further instruction. The knight assumed the same demeanour, ready to fulfil his responsibility.

"Go find Garnet!"

"Yes, my queen!" Steiner replied. At the same time Beatrix said, "At once, Your Majesty!" and the sentences merged together with the same obedient tone.

(!)

Finding the princess; Steiner was certain it would be a simple matter. The castle was large, but there were few places one could just disappear in it, and none of the gondola staff would be stupid enough too ferry the Princess into the city by herself at night. Once he amassed his men, and sent them throughout the towers, Princess Garnet would be recovered safely. After all, she had seemed downcast during the time before she left the play; perhaps she simply needed a moment to herself. Yes, that was it. He would be sure to tell the Queen of his observations of the Princess that night, so that the heir could receive some council. Beatrix's guards had been put at the forefront of security that evening, much to Steiner's displeasure, but he had ensured his knights remained on standby for such an emergency as this. It was his duty as a protector of Alexandria even though it wasn't formally requested, and for the first time in years, Steiner's secret back up plan was actually going to be used. He stood to attention over the gallery rails, taking note of the female guards now posted outside the privy doors.

"Knights of Pluto!" he called, down to the knight's quarters, "ASSEMBLE!" and he turned away, giving his men the allocated ten seconds to line themselves in the hallway below as practised. However, instead of the clatter of eight suits of armour, Steiner could hear … nothing. "Huh?" He turned and looked to find the hallway empty. "Where is everybody!"

At the ferocity of his question, two men finally came running out from the knight's dorm, but even then no metal rattling reached their captain, just the common thuds of bare-feet on expensive carpet.

"Captain, sir!" cried Blutzen, Steiner's second in command; yet, his voice sounded unsteady.

"All present and accounted for, sir!" added another familiar voice; Kohel, Steiner recalled, recently promoted to third knight for his sleuthing skills, but no one else followed him.

"What are you talking about!" demanded Steiner, "There's only two of you! Where are the other six!" He came down, hoping to hustle the remaining knights out of the Tetra master match he suspected they were having, but when he saw the state of the two already present, the shock halted him. Embarrassed, his knights, the two accounted for anyway, had scampered to face the pillars either side of the back-door. They were naked … well almost, and that was bad enough; they also looked bruised, and the back of Kohel's head was bleeding. Rage stirred inside Steiner so quickly, that when he scolded them his was visibly shacking. "Why, you useless good-for-nothings!" he screamed, picturing the laughter on the women safeguarding the door upstairs, resenting how swiftly the event would get back to Beatrix. "I bring orders from the queen! Get dressed and go find Princess Garnet!"

Half-way through his sentence, Steiner's knight's scrambled back into their dorm, closing the door behind them in case the captain had any other insults he wanted to add. None of the other men were inside where they were supposed to be, but Steiner knew Kohel and Blutzen would get the message to them about their new orders. In the meantime, he had to start searching, and he already had a couple of locations in mind; one of his knights, Breireicht, number 6, liked to use the stairwells of the old watch-towers for exercise, because nobody went up there anymore. A good place for solitude. He would search there. On the way, Steiner checked the kitchen, he didn't find the princess, but he did find one of his knights eyeing up the buffet. She wasn't in the libraries either, and none of the scholars reported seeing her. Knight number 4, Laudo, was reading poetry there; after a sound telling-off, he ran away crying.

Outside the castle's main entrance way, Steiner heard a mighty cheer from the audience of the play, and was taken aback by the weight of their approval. _The play seems to be a hit_!No other performance had ever received such an accolade, and this once hadn't even finished yet. The surprise was filtered out by a more worrying thought, _but if we fail to find the princess before the curtain falls, Her Majesty will be most displeased! And we will be the laughing stock of Beatrix and her retinue!_ Another set of the general's guards were posted near the gondola bay. Steiner mustn't let them see him unnerved, but thought to himself _I must hurry! _ No sooner had he begun to act on that notion, than Steiner saw knight number 8, Haagen, lazing by the waterside. After the Princess was found, he would structure a harder entry test for the Knight's of Pluto!

First he tried the East tower, but another knight, the first Steiner had seen actually fulfilling his duty, had posted himself at the entrance. When the captain approached, the knight spoke quickly "Nobody has come this way either, Sir!" This knight had remembered the protocol for missing royalty, and sealed off the tower, and he had reported the status of the area without prompting; unfortunately, Steiner couldn't remember which knight he was. Just like the queen, the stress had forced out significant details he would otherwise have been able to recall backwards, but once the trouble was resolved, he would commend this knight somehow. Happy to leave the tower in the young man's capable sword, Steiner hastened himself to the West tower.

Following an exhausting claim up, what must have been neigh-on a million stairs, Steiner reached the turret. "Whew … Fatigue rears its ugly head." He slumped down, hands on his aching knees and took a few quick breathes, before the alarm bell of duty bellowed in his mind. "No! I must persevere! The princess must be found!"

Steiner ran round to the opposite side of the tower. If he had stayed just an instant longer, he might have noticed the white-hooded-girl on the opposite tower being chased eagerly by a young blond male. As it was, he only caught sight of a suspicious person, whipping past the east tower's pointed roof. "Wait! Over there!" he said, perhaps to the guards that should have been behind him, and he squinted across the distance to wait until the figure came back around. He was surprised to find instead the frame of a women meeting the Princess' exact specifications, running from a hoodlum who looked like he had a white party-streamer protruding from his hind. "It's Princess Garnet! Being hounded by brigands!" he gasped, and then began to jump-up-and-down, trying to catch the heir's attention."Fear not, Princess! Your knight is coming!"

(!)

Zidane had chased Garnet twice around the roof before she finally gave up, crawling onto the wall to face him. He smiled up at her, revelling for a moment in the beauty of her face in the glow of the tower's lanterns. He had her now; there was only one way she could go, and that was a long way down, and Zidane was sure once he turned on the charm and explained the situation, she'd come quietly. But, Garnet, who believed Zidane to be a tactic of the knight dedicated to her protection, had no intention of being dragged back to her mother. She'd gotten this far, and a hundred-foot drop wasn't about to stop her. Eyes glittering with a mischief they'd rarely possessed, Garnet smiled at the boy, bringing her heels to the edge of the bricks beneath her feet. She leaned back over the side, feeling inertia as she began to topple, until finally her feet were no longer beneath her. Cool air rushed from behind her as she fell, her fear pushed away by exhilaration.

Steiner watched, all the air he'd ever taken in leaving him in one horrified cry, as the thug pushed the Princess to her death. His armour scraped along the stone, forming sparks as he leaned down expecting to somehow be able to catch her. He overbalanced to the point of almost tumbling himself, but the girth of his metal coating wedged him safely in the turret gap. Mouth still wide with horror, Steiner stared down at the falling heir.

Zidane watched her go over the edge, his mouth agape; when she disappeared from view he hurried to the side, heart pounding as he stared down. She jumped! How could she have jumped! She was half-way down already! Just a second later however, he noticed the string of flags falling with her. Sure enough, the Princess pulled up as the rope tautened, her face joyful, and began to swing out towards the theatre ship. Impressed, but cursing his lack of foresight, Zidane jumped onto the wall, and ripped another flag banner from its holding. He pulled it firm, and clutching it in both hands, leapt off the tower. Wind lifted his hair up from his face, as he plunged down; the rope reached its length and tugged him into a level swing. Both princess and bandit flew over the crowds in the stands; the momentum of the jump brought Garnet laughing, over the airship, where she let go, landing unharmed on the clothe roof of the orchestral box. Zidane, who hadn't taken his eyes of her, noted where the Princess touched down, and followed suit. He landed feet-first just steps from her position, but she was already crawling away.

On the other tower, Steiner had seen the intruder use the celebration banners to propel himself and the Princess to the theatre-ship. Thankfully, the Princess had come to no visible harm, but if he didn't hurry she would be lost to him. The knight removed a string of flags from the tower and tied it around his waist; there wasn't time to calculate his trajectory! The princess was in danger! Like a petrified bird, he hurtled after them, soaring out over the forecourt stands with all the grace of a paper-canary. He was flying! It was thrilling! It was fantastic! At least, until the orchestra box whizzed by his peripheral vision, and he found himself bearing headfirst towards the main body of the airship. Letting out a scream, Steiner flailed his arms, trying with all his might to slow his speed, but it did no good. The rope snapped with a freighting creak, sending Steiner airborne, lurching him with a force of the momentum he'd gathered straight into a face-full of wood. He crashed with such power the planks splintered, buckling to make room for his form. He was wedged to a stop when the thrust died away, and was left hanging amid a powering of dust, half-in and half-out of the ship. Severed wood fell past his twitching leg as he momentarily passed out.


	5. V1 Chapter 5 Princess… Princess! Princes

**Volume 1**

**Chapter 5 **

**Princess… Princess! Princess …? PRINCESS!**

Zidane swung himself down into the Orchestra box. The band was still playing with gusto, pushing out the bouncy rhythm of the third act, but the princess wasn't where Zidane had expected her to be.

"Huh? Where'd the princess go?" he said to himself, scanning.

"Woo!"

Something, or rather someone crashed into Zidane from above; the thief felt a sharp kick to the back of his cranium, and spots of light clouded his vision as the pain ran through his head. He tumbled to the floor, momentarily dizzied. "Owww…"

Garnet marvelled at her own ingenuity; she'd waited until her assailant jumped down first, and simply mimicked his actions. Landing on him was an accidental bonus. When he was sprawled on the floor unable to focus his eyes, the princess hastened through the orchestra to put as much distance between them as possible. The door she found at the other end of the platform however, was locked. How long would the boy with the tail stay grounded? There had been another door behind him, but Garnet wasn't sure she'd have enough time to slide through it before her pursuer was back on his feet. She didn't have a choice but to try. Less carefully now, the princess ran back through the musicians, nudging flutes with her elbow and knocking down trumpeters and sending the horn player into a spin. The boy was still down, but he was stirring; Garnet jumped over him and fled through the door, slamming it behind her.

Zidane recovered at the sound of the door closing. His tail upright he pulled himself back onto his feet. At the same time, the band were shaking off their surprise and returning to the matter of their instruments. Zidane smiled to himself; this princess was actually pretty crafty. He resumed his chase.

The girl appeared as a white and green blur in Garnet's peripheral vision and she was down before the princess registered the impact. It was only when a high-pitched voice cried out in dismay that Garnet stopped to survey where she was and who she was now in the company of. "Whoa! What in tarnation?"

Garnet was fortunate she had bumped into someone. She'd been running blindly with nothing but escape whirring through her head; if the voice hadn't startled her into stopping, she might have been tangled in the harp she was now staring at. When Garnet turned she saw a young woman, one of the performers she assumed, elegantly rising from the floor. She tucked a strand of her teal locks back into alignment and placed one hand on her slim waist, glaring at Garnet with an indignant frown.

"Hold yer horses, there!" she said, with such a foreign accent that the princess could do nothing but marvel at the strangeness of her. When she skipped over, her pink shoes daintily tapped the floorboards. "Whut kinda cattle you chasin', darlin'?" Garnet didn't understand the question, so she let the woman continue. "You should at least say yer sorry!"

"Please pardon me," the princess responded, placing her hands over her heart in apology. "I was in a hurry, you see …"

"And here I am, fixin' to get ready fer my big entrance!" complained the girl, waving her hands about dramatically. Garnet wasn't even sure the unusual character had even heard her.

The door opened behind them and the blonde boy who had chased her through Alexandria castle stumbled upon the scene. He looked no worse for wear, but when he drew near, the theatre member spun on her heel to greet him.

"Hey, Zidane!" she yelled, "Did you see the way she hit me! This cowgirl's wilder than a buckin' bronco!" He'd jumped off a tower to get to the princess, but Ruby, keeping them apart by two steps, seemed a much more formidable challenge to work around. Especially so riled up; her carefully painted face set with the anticipation of how Zidane would defend her.

"Just let me talk to her, Ruby!" Zidane replied, urgently.

"Come again, pardner!" Ruby responded. She gave him a fierce push away from the hooded-girl and stared deep into his azure eyes, bringing her face so close her floral perfume tickled his nose. "Did you hear what I was sayin'!"

With the perfect opportunity presenting itself, Garnet left the pair to argue and fled down a flight of stairs.

"Hey!" Zidane cried after her. Gently, he forced the actress away from him. "Ruby! We'll talk later!"

There wasn't really anywhere the princess could go; she'd headed down into the cabins where she'd intended to hide herself, but the boy was fast behind her. It would be the end of everything if he caught her. The Pluto Knights would never understand. If only the argument had held him back a little longer … It suddenly struck her that one of Steiner's men knowing members of this crew on a personal level was extremely unlikely. And, when she thought about it, never had she heard any of the knights being hailed as Zidane. She would have remembered that, she was certain. She stopped running. His footsteps ended behind her. They were in a room where a lit candelabrum illuminated the walls with an orange hue.

"Whew… well it looks like you've finally made up your mind." Zidane sounded more amused than anything else. _Wow. We really had to improvise, but hey we got her._ Still hooded, the princess turned slowly to face him.

"Do you …" she began, uncertain. "Do you work on this theatre ship?"

_Aww … so she figured it out, huh?_ Zidane had hoped to impress her with that little titbit, but he smiled scratching absentmindedly at his scalp and nodding.

"As you have no doubt suspected … the truth is that … I am actually…" the girl finally lifted her hood to her hairline revealing her famous beauty in its entirety. Her heart shaped face was tainted with a subtle worry which had wiggled its way into her otherwise angelic features. "… Princess Garnet Til Alexandros, heir to the throne of Alexandria." She placed her hands out in front of her as if about to pray. "I have a favour I wish to ask of you… I wish to be kidnapped … right away."

Zidane was startled when the princess leaned towards him and took his hands in hers. Gripping them firmly, but gently, she stared into his eyes; Zidane could see her words were backed by desperation and possibly even fear. While he was happy to already be in close contact, Zidane was taken aback by her sudden request and his tail curled up behind him as he flustered for an answer.

"Huh! I don't… I mean…" he stuttered; he looked from her eyes to their interlocked hands.

"Princess! Where are you!"

Someone was shouting down the corridor and it wasn't anyone Zidane knew. The princess seemed to understand their intention however, and let go of the thief's hands in order to return her cowl to its position over her face, all the while staring at the door. "Please," she begged, "They've come for me!"

"Aha… so that's what's going on…" Zidane wasn't sure why Garnet wanted to hitch a ride on the theatre ship, but he didn't much care. He tapped his chest with his thumb confidently, and gave her a reassuring smile. "Alright! Leave them to me!"

"Thank you. You have my gratitude," she replied, but she still sounded unsteady.

Playfully, Zidane got down onto one knee, bowing his head slightly. "Alright then, Your Highness," he began with a noble accent. "I shall hereby do my best to kidnap you!" he moved his hand to his heart, and dipped into a full bow.

"What are you two doing? Come on, this way!"

Zidane recognised that gruff articulation, but the Princess let out a scream and ran behind Zidane as he was standing. She clutched onto his arm with both hands and buried her face deep behind her hood to avoid being seen. She was quite possibly the cutest thing the boy had ever witnessed.

"Don't worry, Princess. It's my friend Cinna!" he explained, gesturing to the pop-bellied man who'd stepped through the meeting-room door.

"Oh, really?" she hesitated a moment, but let go of Zidane. "I am sorry. You startled me."

"Well, with a face like his, I'd be pretty shocked, too!" laughed Zidane; he was really only trying to help the princess relax, but Cinna didn't care for the comment.

"Man, that hurts!" he complained, stomping. "I wash up every morning, you know!"

"Princess!" That odd, noble voice again, nearer this time.

"This way!" said Cinna, pointing behind him to the meeting room.

"Alright, we'll follow you!" Zidane said; he was speaking to his brother, but his eyes were on Garnet. He gave her another reassuring nod, and gestured for her to go first. As instructed she ran after Cinna, letting Zidane take up the rear just in case trouble burst through the door. When they were safely inside, he shut them in.

The latch clicked open and Steiner, after an unsavoury journey through corridors of abandoned costumes which all looked the same, finally made it into a space which looked unique. "Princess?" he called. He was so sure he had heard her troubled voice from inside; where had that vagrant dragged her? What did he plan on doing with her? How dare he! Steiner searched the room thoroughly. Under the table, and inside the large closet, anywhere he suspected a girl of the princess's stature could be stowed away. He kept calling to her, listening for even a muffled reply, perhaps through a gag of some kind. "Princess… Princess! Princess …? PRINCESS! Princess?" his cries received no response.

At last another of his knights came charging in after him. "Where have you been!" Steiner demanded, but then he noticed it was the same knight who had secured the tower. The name and number still escaped him, but that was of no importance now.

"Sir! I'm sorry, Sir!" replied the knight, dutifully.

Steiner turned, about to report the circumstances to his one capable man, but he closed his mouth again when he noticed the door on the left wall. In the momentary quiet, he thought he could hear voices."Princess!" Steiner tried one last time.

Inside the meeting-room, Zidane belatedly noticed a severe problem. "Hey, Cinna! This is a dead end!" But to his surprise, Cinna started laughing at the comment.

"Hehehe. I thought this might happen," he said, cheerfully and proudly. "Open!" Cinna stamped his foot once on a loose panel of flooring. The table sprung up as if hinged by its two back legs, and sat vertically concealing the strategy board behind it. "Sesame!" with another pound of Cinna's boot, a circular hatch which had otherwise been hidden by the table, flipped open to reveal an exit. Buzzing and clanking could be heard below, the familiar noises of the engine. "So I set up this escape hatch!"

"Princess!"

Both Zidane and Garnet turned towards the voice. Shadows moved in the gap below the door.

"Come on! Jump inside" Cinna encouraged. He stretched his arms up, and pencil jumped into the hole. Garnet wasted no time and bound down through the narrow space to the engine below; once she was through Zidane plunged down also.

Steiner checked the surroundings, but stopped when he saw the perfectly trimmed hole in the centre of the room. "The princess must be down there!" he concluded. His knight stepped forward, peering at the hole hesitantly before puffing out his chest.

"I-I'll go first, sir!" he proclaimed, and he lunged himself at the gap. Unfortunately, the armour casing his body added more girth to the boy than he had anticipated. He landed with his back wedged in the hole, his arms and legs flailing about like an upturned tortoise's. Try as he might, the man couldn't wiggle himself free.

"Hey!" cried Steiner, "What do you think you're doing!"

"Captain, sir! I'm stuck, sir!"

"Grrrr! Blast it!"

All respect this recruit had gained in his captain's eyes evaporated, water underneath the heat of Steiner's fury. If this lead to the princess's undoing, he would personally see to it the man was hung for treason to the Queen. For now, there wasn't time to winch the imbecile free; Steiner recognised the rattling of an engine and that gave him his next destination. He hurried away to find another path to the lower decks, leaving the nameless knight to ponder his own ineptitude. However, the moment he was gone, the 'knight' allowed the smirk he had been concealing to blossom. Ceasing his pretend struggling, he turned to ensure the hunk of metal had clambered fully from view, and revelled in his ability to act the role.

"Hehehe. He bought it!"


	6. V1 Chapter 6 Just Improvise

**Volume 1 **

**Chapter 6 **

**Just Improvise**

The hole opened up directly above the engine, a giant vessel pumping filtered mist through the ship's mechanisms. Cinna clunked down onto the metal bulk feeling the heat quickly rising through his shoes, and swiftly bounced off again onto a platform used to access the mist-distribution valve. Princess Garnet and Zidane succeeded him, but paused to recompose themselves once they were back on solid ground. The room was filled with the smells and heat of the engine, and the constant sounds of its spitting and hissing.

"Wow, you're really athletic Princess," Zidane commented. His words were tinged with his flirtatious intent, but the remark was sincere. Generally, Princesses in plays and books never jumped down holes, or swung from towers unaided. "I think I'm falling for you." An honest feeling he hid with a charming laugh.

"This is nothing," the princess replied. "I have been training to escape the castle, after all."

"What a waste. If only you weren't a princess…" and Zidane shrugged in an 'oh well' gesture, wondering if she'd missed the suggestive nature of his earlier statement.

"We have no time for idle banter. Come, let us move on!"

(!)

As the knight swung down the pole, the thief bound through the doorway. The pair saw one another as irrelevant blemishes in the backdrop of the room, where colourful sets lay leaning against the wall. They met in a near collision when the armour clad man leapt down directly into the path of the boy with the tail. Zidane almost toppled over himself in an attempt to avoid a face-full of rusty plating, but the older and taller man stood his ground searching the bandit before him, and then moving his eyes to the white-hooded girl bringing up the rear.

"Aha!" he shouted, relieved. He stuck his chest out with pride."Princess! I, Steiner, have come to your rescue!"

Stifling a groan, Garnet turned away hoping to skedaddle back through the series of corridors she'd just been led through. However, another knight presented himself through the entryway, sealing her in.

"You needn't worry, Your Highness!" he said. There was something about the non-chalant way he saluted, something in his form, in his casual address that made Garnet relax. Beneath the rim of his ill-fitting helmet the boy's eyes were glinting. Neither Zidane nor Cinna had reacted to his appearance at all.

"Good work!" called Steiner, shooting his fist upwards in a gesticulation of victory. "This will be remembered as the Pluto Knights' finest hour!"

The second knight started laughing, but it wasn't the cheerful, proud chortle of a man who had done his duty, it was the snigger of a successful conman. "Hehehe… Just relax, Princess. We'll get you outta here!" Disbelieving, Steiner glanced down at the cool character in front of him; sure enough the boy's face was alive with a gloating smile.

"WHATT!" the Captian screamed; his armour rattled as his rage sent him into a series of quick jumps. "You're not one of my knights!" He said it as much to himself as to the cantankerous fiend who'd tricked him. It was obvious now; none of his men had that odd patchwork skin, or would dare to don dirty fur boots. In the time he had yelled, the trio of bandits had formulated a protective line in front of the Princess, their hands moving towards their weapons.

"You can just…" began the tailed boy.

"… leave the Princess…" continued the overweight cretin beside him.

"To us!" they finished together, all three curs.

They were quick to move, and they coordinated their attack without the need for communication. The pop-bellied man struck first, taking his hammer to the side of Steiner's helmet and sending a skull-shaking vibration around his head. Just a second behind him, the false knight came rooting through the storage pouches on Steiner's belt and fishing out a leather-hat he kept for emergencies. Not a second later the commoner with the tail was looting another one, snagging a silk-shirt. Angered, the knight lifted his sword and charged forward. "Villains!" he shouted, "How dare you trick the Princess!" he brought the weapon down in a swift motion onto the exposed belly of the pig, who narrowly missed a fatal wound by staggering back. The injury swelled with blood.

Zidane defended his brother with a slash to the knight's exposed body where the plate and chain-mail were splayed to give the man room to move his arm up at the shoulder. The cut barely dented the skin, but the sharp pain was enough to send Steiner staggering backward before he could administer another blow to the thieves. Blank thrust his sword at the unprotected skin on Steiner's legs, but missed when the knight blocked with his own blade. The two remained a moment the edges of their weapons sparking and then Blank was pushed back. By this time, Steiner had taken another quick blow at Cinna, who fell to the floor groaning, his hammer thudding down beside him. The remaining brothers braced their blades; Zidane managed another cut to the aggressor's cheek, sending a trickle of red down to his neck.

"I'll never give up!" Steiner announced. He raised his sword so it stood the blunt edge between his eyes. A blue glow consumed the blade, tinting the steel with a cobalt flare as he slowly lowered it into an attack stance. With the end of the weapon burning, Steiner clutched the hilt in both hands, hoisted the sword above his head and ran at the deceptive creature still donned in knight's garb. He dropped the blade down so the tip touched the floor in front of him.

A tendril of powered light shot down the deck. Blank had no time to react. A circle of blue locked him on the spot, creating a pool of magic beneath him; steams of mist blossomed upwards and blasts of magic like fireworks discharged at his body. The armour was of better standard than either knight or thief had thought and protected Blank by absorbing the impact. Once the plating had blocked the power it began to crumble, breaking apart as easily as bread and disintegrating. Only the helmet survived, lifted away from Blank's head by the force of the attack, and bouncing across the deck to Steiner's feet. Blank now stood in his usual attire covered head to foot in emancipated oglops. The cage hadn't stood up to the magic either, and the blighters jumped free of their prison sprawling out quickly through the room, gwoking and bouncing. Disgusted, Steiner leapt backwards.

"N-No!" he yelped "I hate oglops!"

With a high-pitched whelp undignified for any man to make, much less a knight in service to a royal family, Steiner ran in a panic around the room, swerving to avoid the bugs which had infested it. He wasn't the only one. Blank grabbed at those which clung to his skin flailing his body to remove the nasty creatures, and Cinna who had been on the ground forgot his injuries when the beasts began to jump all over him. The three of them scurried about like mad-men in a pit of scorpions leaving Zidane and Garnet to stare in bewilderment.

"No! I hate oglops!"

"Oglops are the worst!"

"Get these oglops offa me!"

Amused, and seizing the opportunity to escape the pathetic excuse for a knight, Zidane turned to the princess. "Now's our chance! Come on!"

Unbothered by the harmless pests, the two hurried around the tirade of insects and men through the door on the other side of the room.

(!)

King Leo walked out of his castle, proud, with an expression of gloating twisting his roughened features. "Tonight, I shall finally see my daughter Cornelia betroth'd to Prince Schnieder," he said to himself. "And then Prince Schnieder and his kingdom will be mine!" he erupted into a mighty laugh, dug from the depths of his throat, maximised by his sense of victory. "Gwahahahaha!"

From the castle entrance, King Leo's two rhino servants dragged the struggling form of a beaten Marcus to the king. With a satisfied smirk, Leo approached them.

"Your majesty!"

"We have caught an intruder!"

The king leaned in close to Marcus's face. "Why, my poor Marcus!" he said, feigning worry over the man's bruised eye and cut lip. He turned and strode away a few steps, and his tone became serious once more. "Hark lad. No matter how much thou dost treasure Cornelia… no matter how deeply she might believe she doth love thee… never shall I see her marry a peasant such as thee! When yon bell strikes three, under the axe thou shall be."

Across the castle courtyard rang the chimes of the village bell. Two cries of imminent death.

(!)

Zidane and Garnet wound up in the under-stage, the deck residing directly below the performance area. Machines operating the scenery above were whirring and cranking, and four circular floor panels formed a line at the far end of the room, but otherwise the pair were at a dead end.

"What now? We cannot go any further!" Garnet asked, panicked. Zidane wasn't sure, and bent his head down, fists on waist to ponder a moment what their next move could be.

"Hmmm…"

Cinna came bounding into the room heading straight for the device standing quietly near the odd floor panels. Surprised, Zidane and Garnet turned to him.

"Zidane! Get on Number Two!" he said.

"Okay," Zidane replied, sensing Cinna's plan. "Princess Garnet, this way!" Together they stepped onto the circular panel second from the right. Zidane gave his brother a nod, as Garnet clutched at his arm, unsure of what would happen. Just as he pulled the lever to send them to safety, a heavy hand barged him away from the machine.

"Stop!"

The platform beneath the princess and the thief started to lift upward on a jack, clicking as the activated lever returned to its original position. Steiner had sent the pig-man pirouetting across the deck with a loud "yow!" The man slammed against the pulley system in the corner and dropped onto his front. Meanwhile, Steiner yanked another lever and quickly jumped onto the platform beside the one which had taken the princess onward. Sure enough the system began to grind, and he too was carried through a hole on the ceiling.

(!)

The third bell chimed. Leo paced away from his victim proclaiming "Futhermore!" ready to tell the despicable cur every detail of his parent's demise, to riddle him with mental torture in the final minutes of his life-

But, the stage panel nearest Baku clattered open. The boss turned first to Marcus, to check he hadn't forgotten something, but the troll, still pretending to struggle, looked as startled as his boss did. The actors turned their attention to the people now rising up onto the stage; Zidane and a girl about his age clinging to his arm, her pretty face shaded by a white hood. Taken aback, Baku glanced first at Zidane who gave him an apologetic grin, and then at the lady beside him who blushed under his gaze.

"P-Princess Garnet!" he whispered.

"Guys!" Zidane responded "Just improvise!"

A second panel opened making way for a man in a steel knight's ensemble to enter the performance. Once the platform had clicked into place, Steiner found himself facing a large gathering of people. "Ho? What's all this?" he asked himself.

The audience were beginning to become restless, muttering among themselves about the sudden change of pace. Taking charge, Marcus, who wasn't exactly sure what was happening, but couldn't wait to hear the story, wrenched his arms free of his Rhino brothers and stepped towards the princess.

"Cornelia!" he cried.

Flustered, Garnet stared at him; everything she knew about the play, and she knew a lot about this one, clustered together like paper in a storm. "Um…"

"Marcus is Cornelia's lover," Zidane reminded her, a quick whisper in her ear. She _knew_ that. Tentatively she stepped towards the man, trying to recall her acting classes, pushing out any concept of herself to replace with this character. Cornelia, a love-stricken princess controlled by her father.

"Oh Marcus," she tried; her voice was shaky, but emotional.

"Yeah," Zidane quietly encouraged, "you're doing great!"

"Ahaha, I have studied drama, you know," Garnet said, giggling a little in her embarrassment.

"Okay guys, let's keep going. Brahne's still watchin' after all," said Baku.

Habit overcame the subordinate thieves; Zidane, the troll portraying Marcus, and the two masked rhinos behind him turned to their leader and hit their hands against their hearts. Garnet was dumbfounded by the gesture; meanwhile Steiner, still with no clue as to where he was, maintained his position and swivelled about as if in awe of everything. Then as though nothing had happened, the troupe became their characters again. Marcus lifted his arms to embrace his lover, and this time Garnet was ready.

"Oh Marcus," she said, relieved. "I missed you so." She allowed herself to fall against the troll's chest, and continued as his tattooed arms wrapped around her. "I wish never to leave thy side. Prithee, lead me from this place!"

"See, King Leo?" Zidane said gently, trying to appeal to any compassion that might be buried deep in the monarch. "Thou shouldst give them thy blessing!"

Something unusual passed over Leo's face as he watched his daughter smiling in the arms of the man she loved; the harshness lifted from his eyes, the corners of his lips relaxed, but it was fleeting and the sternness returned as he looked away. "Never!" he proclaimed, and turned back to his child. "Never leave his side, thou sayest? Foolish banter! I'll not allow it!"

Baku caught sight of the knight from the corner of his eye as he was speaking. The man stood glaring out into the stands, his shoulders hunched and his arms hanging like he was some form of ape. In response, some of the audience were staring back, turning to their neighbours and quietly whispering. Even the queen was squinting down at him, perplexed by his sudden appearance. Thinking fast, Baku went on "Cornelia shall marry none other than this man-" and he summoned the name of the only character that hadn't yet made an appearance on stage. "Prince Schneider!" Pleased with the audience's nods of realisation, Baku strode over to the man and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Is that not so, Prince Scheider?"

The man's bottom lip dropped like an anchor and his eyes widened. "M-marry the princess? Me!" he said.

"Aye! And this traitorous crew, I will put to death!" shouted King Leo. He summoned his guards over. Marcus reluctantly broke away from his love, and together with Zidane, ran to meet the rhinos. They punched and kicked at the guards, quickly taking down their adversaries.

"Oof!"

"Ow!"

"Too many of them!"

"Run away!"

The rhinos fled to either side of the stage. King Leo, in a last ditch attempt to reclaim his daughter's will, walked to Cornelia. "Pray, sweet daughter, come home to the castle with me."

"Nay, Father! I shan't return!"

"Cornelia …" pleaded the king, "Trouble me no more. This wedding is for thine own welfare. Be mindful of that."

"Not if I can help it!" announced Marcus, catching their attention. "Now is my moment of vengeance! For my parents, and for my love, Cornelia," he drew his sword from its sheath, slowly so the schlink sound echoed, and posed the tip at the fiendish king. "I shall cut thee down!"

Marcus charged at Leo, sword posed to spear his shrivelled heart, but the man backed away. The princess lost sight of who wielded the blade, seeing instead only a weapon about to kill her father. Garnet wasn't sure where it came from, but at the thought of losing her father she lost control, jumping in front of the false king so the sword took Cornelia's life instead. "Ngh!" The harmless weapon passed between her arm and her torso, and she shuddered in feigned agony, falling to her knees, and then sideways onto her back.

"No… Cornelia!" Marcus cried.

They killed the princess! Steiner, arms raised over his head, had watched a heathen plunge a sword into the heart of the heir. He couldn't move, he couldn't even breathe, he just stood frozen staring at the dying princess.

"Mar…cus, forgive me. I still love my father…" she choked.

"Cornelia!" King Leo fell to his knees at his daughter's side.

"Princess!" Steiner shrieked, flopping down and shaking his hands in despair and disbelief. How could he have let this happen?

"Prithee, forgive my selfishness, Father, and spare my sweet Marcus…" the last word hovered alongside her dying breath. The red edge of her hood covered her eyes as her head dropped, and her arms lay limp beside her wounded torso.

"What have I done! Am I never to hear her loving voice again! Am I cursed never again to feel her soft touch! O, cruel fate! Thou hast robbed me of all I treasure!"

After his impromptu monologue, Marcus turned the sword towards himself and without hesitation pretended to pierce his own heart.

"Marcus!" Zidane said, leaning out to stop him, but too late.

"Ngah!"

He tumbled backwards, crashing down beside his love so her pale face would be his last sight, and his body went limp, just as Cornelia's had.

(!)

"Oh, my!" Queen Brahne said to herself, tears welling up in her eyes at the tragic end to the lover's lives. "This year's show is splendid!" she covered her eyes with her hand, suddenly overwhelmed, and shook her body. "Waaaaaaa!" Belly jiggling left and right, she openly wept, streams of tears filling the creases in her face. "Why did she have to die! Why!"

About to share this heart-rending moment with her daughter, Queen Brahne turned to find the girl was still missing. _Now, where could Garnet be?_ The play was almost over, but the Queen had had no report on her whereabouts. The thought was pushed away again, however, when Brahne saw the two bodies laying on the stage. A lump rose in her throat and the faucets in her eyes burst. "Boo-hoo-hoooo!"


	7. V1 Chapter 7 Escape From Alexandria

**Volume 1**

**Chapter 7 **

**Escape From Alexandria**

"Wow, what a show!" commented Puck. He and Vivi, having found themselves frequently obstructed in the back row, had made their way to the front of the stands on the platform the actors had used to stage their fight.

"Yeah," Vivi agreed, wiping his eyes. "So sad."

"I'm glad we climbed all the way over here. How 'bout you, huh?" The rat turned to Vivi, but his triumphant smile faded as his eyes became wide. "Uh-oh! Look out!"

Vivi spun and saw them, two guards hurrying towards them. The boy gasped and started to run behind Puck, down the platform towards the castle.

"Stop, you!" cried one of the guards. Their armoured shoes clanked heavily on the stone, so Vivi could both hear and feel them close behind him. "Come back, trespassers!"

There was nowhere to escape to at the other end of the stands, just a door which led into the castle, and Puck figured that wasn't a good idea even if it was left open. He led Vivi back around the guards, who fumbled to grab the pair as they passed, and back onto the audience. The wall was their best hope now. Vivi was keeping good pace with his friend, until a shifted podium separating the stands from the stage caught under his foot and sent him flying. He found himself a second later staring at the dizzying yellow of the courtyard paving; his knees throbbed with pain, and he was stunned, unable to focus or move. Annoyed, Puck came back to him, but when Vivi didn't stand and the guards were too close for comfort he huffed. "Fool! I'm outta here!" and Vivi heard the pitter-patter of Puck's nimble feet advancing without him.

As the shock ebbed away, Vivi managed to get back up. He hoped he could still follow his companion, but he could no longer see the rat, who had already fled. With the knights bellowing behind him, Vivi ran.

"Fury!"

"Come back here!"

(!)

"Forgive me!" moped King Leo. The man was still stationed on hands and knees leaning over the cooling body of his daughter. Behind them, Zidane knelt stoic beside Marcus's corpse. The audience were awash with sobs and whelps.

The knight's shock had transformed into dismay, and he was now overcome with a grief which rained down his face as tears. Unable to stare at her unmoving form any longer, he'd covered his face with his forearm, and his entire body shook. "Princess!" he wept, his voice croaking.

Zidane was the only one to see the boy running out from the darkened stands and into the glow of the stage-lights. At least, he assumed he was a kid; he looked about that height, but his face was concealed by the fringe of a hat. He crossed the bridge onto the air-ship, and turned back to face the crowd, pulling his hat straight with both hands.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted, but he sounded afraid, his voice unsteady, and when two knights appeared on the bridge behind him, he continued to run into the midst of the scene.

"Stop!" the guard called after him.

"Come back here!"

The trio of newcomers passed behind Zidane, where Marcus lay with one eye open, trying to see what was happening. The boy came round to the front of Baku, who was still feigning grief and jumped over the limp frame of the Princess. At that point he turned, his strange iridescent eyes suddenly glowing, and raised his hands out. The knights stopped abruptly at this action on the other side of Garnet, and sensing that the show was already officially ruined, Zidane stood. Motes of fiery sparks gathered around the boy's fingers, spreading to his palms where they settled a moment before growing into a ball. Without warning, three balls of flame shot out towards his aggressors. However, instead of reaching the men, the flames caught hold of Garnet's hood, smoking and spreading out quickly along the fabric. Steiner and Baku jumped back in horror, while the Princess, now ablaze, jumped to her feet, tearing the robe away from her body before she burned.

"Ow, that's hot!"

Thankfully, the hood came away easily, revealing the princess to her mother and to the audience, who gasped in recognition. While the robe fell harmlessly into the water, Garnet wiped away any embers which might have fallen on her clothes. Seeing her alive, standing before him in what appeared to be an orange jumpsuit, Steiner placed both hands on his helmet, and slowly shook his head in confusion.

"Zidane! It's time!" Baku called. He rushed away off-stage.

"Princess Garnet! Let's get out of here!" Zidane said to the girl, she gave him a slow nod.

"What…" Steiner began, but had to stop. Everything was buzzing about his head like flies around spoiled meat. "What is going on!"

Quickly, her long dark hair swaying with the movement, the princess turned to the man, and in a tone both polite but firm said "Steiner! Don't follow me anymore!"

"Captain, sir! We await your orders, sir!"

Haagan (number 8), and another of his men were nearby. Real knights this time. It would be easy now to apprehend the lowlifes and restore the Princess to her mother; however, the heir herself had just given him an order and disregarding it was not an option, in fact, it was neigh on treason. "Hmmm… Well… Umm… Errr…" he fumbled for a conclusion, but in the end, his duty was to ensure the best interests of the Princess even if she didn't yet realise herself what that was. She needed to be secure at the palace with her family, not in the company of dangerous criminals who obviously sought to use her for ungainly purposes after tricking the poor child in some way. Heathens!

"Princess! I'm afraid I cannot comply!"

"Stubborn as always aren't you?" she replied, her tone sharp.

"Come on, princess," the boy with the tail interrupted, before the knight could speak again. "Let's ditch Sir Rustalot and get outta here!"

"Princess, wait!"

The Princess nodded, and turned from her bodyguard to follow Zidane across the stage. He stopped however when he noticed the kid sprawled on the deck; the poor guy. Marcus was with them also, taking point behind his brother, as he knelt to inspect the kid. The knight, who could no more act than a dog could recite the history of Alexandrian lore, was watching them closely.

"Hey, kid…" Zidane asked the boy gently. "You okay!"

The boy scrambled to his feet, assuming he was about to be arrested for trespassing. When he stood however, he found himself looking into the face of one of the actors. Embarrassed, Vivi pulled his hat so it sat properly over his brow, and turned to face the teenager. Another grizzlier looking figure stood behind him, and the girl he'd accidentally almost flambéed was also nearby. She didn't look hurt.

"Y-yeah. I just tripped, that's all…" he said.

"Princess, I cannot allow you to go! Seize them at once!"

The thieves were already clutching at their weapons, taking stance before the knight was finished speaking. With two of his men behind him, Steiner felt considerably more able to fulfil his duty; no longer was he outnumbered. Garnet was the first to strike him with a staff she had been concealing … somewhere. The hit wasn't hard, he could barely feel it beneath his armour, but it spoke volumes about the girl's determination, and it came with an expression etched with warning. Hurt more on the inside than anything else, Steiner returned her gaze, and raised his sword.

Zidane was just able to dodge his slash, the speed of which took him by surprise. His brother came out from his side and countered, hitting the captain in the face with the butt of his hilt, causing him to stagger back behind his men. Both lower class knights were smaller, slimmer and less armoured than their captain. Evening the odds wouldn't be difficult. With a quick nod to Marcus, Zidane hurried forward and aimed his blades at the lackey to Steiner's right. He didn't touch flesh, only scathed a cut into the knight's shoulder, but his speed and precision were enough to unsteady his opponent.

"My fury ends here…" he whimpered, turning tale and fleeing offstage. Zidane laughed as he went, but was silenced when a sword formed a nick in his lower-leg; the other soldier had struck him.

Vivi blasted fire at the men. The cloud of warmth encircled their bodies, getting under their suits to their bare skin causing them to blister. The sensation was uncomfortable and short-lived, but it was enough to startle the second soldier, who promptly announced "I'm gonna be late for my date!" and skedaddled, much in the fashion of his counterpart. Leaving Steiner to stand alone, for himself and for the benefit of his ward. They were quickly upon him, the thieves and even the Princess, one by one bruising and cutting his body trying to deter him.

"Bah! Only a flesh wound!" he said; he tried to sound amused, but the resulting tone was unconvincing. He was hunched over, his sword hanging next to his knee, but he would not allow himself to even consider relent.

(!)

"Stabilisers configured!" Cinna assured his boss, after double-checking the gauge readings on the dashboard. Baku was stood behind the helm, every lever and button poised ready for take-off, behind him a small lantern illuminated a map which detailed their flight plan.

"Good!" he replied.

Blank hurried into the helm-room from the stairway. "Engine room is good to go!" he explained, excitedly.

"Alright!"

The three thieves signalled to one another, hands over hearts and legs to attention, to give a final assurance that everything was running smoothly. "We're movin' out!" proclaimed Baku.

The crew hurried back to their stations, Blank to the engine room, and Cinna to the dashboard next to his boss, and even the rhino twins appeared from the doorway rushing through to their allocated points.

"Rodger that!" laughed Blank in response. "It's about time!"

(!)

The propellers spun into motion, slowly as first, but then they burst to full power and became blurred circles of beige in the light surrounding the helm room. The ship rocked to life, lifting from the pond; the maiden at the masthead smiled to the astonished crowds as she rose upwards. Those sitting had stood, confused and frightened and baffled as the show's abrupt end transfigured into it's sudden and unscheduled departure. The ship continued upwards towards the dark sky, a glowing spectacle against the navy tower roves behind it. On her balcony, the Queen was frantic with anger, her face flushed beneath the layer of make-up as she yelled at the soldiers around her. The stage came up past where she was standing, arms flailing at a young woman, teeth bared and eyes like slits. Beams of lights underneath the stage blinded her to attention. She saw one of the actors, sniggering at her, spinning to reveal a tail which he proceeded to swing at her mockingly. Next to him was her daughter, sitting, trying to remain steady as the boat shook. Queen Brahne's hands drew up like talons to cover her face. What did the girl thing she was doing? Stupid child!

Clanking and the heavy clicks of moving metal joined the rattling of the vessel's engine and the screaming of the crowds below, as Beatrix's recruits hoisted the spear cannons into firing range. The barrels were following the moving ship as it continued to lift and start to withdraw from the courtyard, but the Queen was impatient and could not afford to let the fools escape her. She turned to the cannon station, thrusting her thick arm out towards the vessel and calling across to the gunwomen to fire, to catch the ship before it was too late. The markswoman, whose job it was to ensure the gun was correctly aimed, was startled by the Queen's instructions, and despite not having a clear line of sight waved a red flag to signal the command. One by one, four giant arrowheads launched out across the stands; they burst from their sockets, forming ruby clouds of exploded gunpowder. Attached to their ends, were long strands of chain, constructing a bracelet bridge from the towers, and out across the courtyard.

The first spear crashed through one of the propeller stands, sending a rain of splintered wood into the audience boxes. Another crushed the vacant orchestra box, snapping some of the oil light fixtures and causing small explosions. Debris was thrown out in a cloud of smoke down to the stage, and Zidane ran to avoid being hit, Steiner followed suit. The angle of the chains as they reached their limit, started to spin the airship off course. Forces changing as the ship struggled against the pull of the leaches, tilted the deck, and the metal lines ploughed through tower roves shattering shingle. Zidane gripped Garnet tightly round the shoulders as she fought to stay upright. The airship jolted and dropped into momentary freefall, still slanted, and those onstage were thrown backwards and forwards in the inertia; Vivi lost his footing and toppled onto his back.

A second set of spears was fired; Zidane could see them springing from the opposite turret like misguided fireworks. The Queen egged them onwards with sheer will, punching her arms, a maddened fan in need of their success. Three charged into the decks above, but one had a clear shot, and came hurtling directly at the stage where Zidane and the Princess sat; the thief grabbed Garnet and hurled her backwards as the lance thrust down before them. No longer able to hold out against the strain, the ship twisted round out of control, the bow forced towards the private boxes where groups of nobles stared out in horror. People hurried away indoors, attempting to flee deeper inside the castle, but the forepart collided with the building, tearing a hole into the castle and continuing to draw a line through it; those still fleeing through the stairwells ducked down as the bow moved over them in a fog of brick. Similarly, those watching from the rooftops just beyond the palace, screamed and fumbled back down over the dormers as smoke poured out around the ship's spires. Queen Brahne was livid that the airship was still moving, tugging against her chains like a wild beast reluctant to die.

Beside the spear on stage, Garnet lay breathless, and Zidane crawled over to her, tail erect, gently laying a worried hand on her shoulder. She didn't look hurt, but that weapon had cut pretty close. When Steiner saw him lay his hand on the Princess, he took action, staggering on hands and knees to yank the heathen away, but the angle of the ship changed again and Vivi, unable to stop himself, bowled into the knight and they snowballed together to the other end of the ship. Through the clouds of dust, Zidane could see the Queen motioning to the elaborate crest above the balcony. The winged crest split and drew away on either side to reveal the barrel of a larger cannon. Soldiers pushed it forward into place, and it stood there only a moment before they fired it, but this one contained no spear. A cannon-ball came through the plume of gas and out into the sky. Zidane braced himself for a blow which didn't happen. Instead, the ball shattered mid-air to reveal a gargantuan fireball rolling through the sky; it took form before Zidane's eyes, hands spreading out through the flames, and a dark orange mouth, complete with ignited teeth and hollow, jack-o-lantern eyes. A monster! And it came at them with eyes surging and smoking, the Queen's last ditch effort to prevent their escape.

Zidane, Vivi, Garnet, and Marcus all saw the creature soar down onto the stage, but Steiner mistook their seizing their weapons as an attack against him. He quickly shambled to his legs, and removed his sword, and ignored the sudden heat at his back causing trickles of sweat to run down his spine. Obviously, they were planning to toss him over-board as they made their getaway, but Steiner would allow none of it. Perhaps it was this rage that inspired his temperature to, quite literally, increase. A little hesitant, Steiner struck at the boy first, the little mage who was the most dangerous; a good tactic to take out his strongest opponent before he had a chance to use his magic. Zidane quickly came at him, attempting to defend the boy, angered by the man's stupidity. The monster lingered quietly behind the knight, smaller than it had seemed at first, but snarling like a crackling fire all the same. In an endeavour to subdue the man, Garnet clouted him with her rod, rattling his helmet like a bell. Suddenly, the beast grew, its embers sprawling outwards to extend the flames which constructed it's body.

"Hey, look behind you!" shouted Zidane; the man's ignorance astonished him to the point of humour.

"I'll not fall for such an old trick!" Steiner retorted, coming at Zidane and sending the blade towards his torso; the thief blocked with his daggers, narrowly avoiding a puncture wound, and sent the man reeling backwards. Marcus slashed at him, reopening the gash in his shoulder he'd made in their earlier fight.

"Please Steiner! Behind you!" pleaded Garnet.

"I'll not fall for such an old trick!" repeated the knight, and he was already aiming another blow at Marcus, scraping a trench into his arm as the thief turned to evade a direct hit to the chest. Garnet smacked Steiner again in her frustration. The beast grew again, so large now, that the knight stood as a shadow between it's eyes. Zidane attacked again; they were wasting their energies on this fool, they needed to get the monster before it became too big.

"Surrender at once!" Steiner shouted, as he countered, barging the thief with his body to unbalance him, and then drawing a sharp line across the side of his neck. Vivi swatted him away before he could finish the job, abstaining from his fire magic in the given situation.

"It's a bomb!" he told Zidane, remembering the creature from his Tetra Master deck.

"It's gonna blow!" added Marcus.

"I'll not fall for such an old trick!" and he lunged at Marcus for making him repeat himself a third time. What kind of an idiot did they take him for? He wasn't as easily manipulated as their pathetic kind. By the great grace of Lord Pluto, was it getting hot around here!

The bomb enlarged itself again, disappearing for minute into the fixings above the stage, and instantly cooling the area. As the wave of heat faded, Steiner became aware he was standing in a shadow steadily growing beneath his feet. When he stared up to see what cast it, thinking another thief was trying to take him by surprise, he finally saw it; a bomb, and now at full size, ready to detonate. He fell to the floor whimpering and panicked, staring up at its mass jaws quickly filling with smoke.

With a cackle, the bomb detonated itself.

The ship was consumed. The sound of the explosion ran through Alexandria, hitting those still on the streets with a shockwave, roaring and hot and deadly.

The queen squinted but smiled, as the glare of the blast reached her. Vermilion smoke formed a cloud around the ruined vessel, shining with a glow as brilliant as daylight, before fading to an ash grey. Victorious, the Queen jumped and cheered, staring out, waiting for the ship to come crashing down. The seconds passed, but still she was unable to see the airship falling in its disgrace, and she leaned closer over the balcony straining to see if she had missed something. The cloud dulled further and began to thin, and from the stratocumulus mass peeped the bow of the vessel. Scorched, her pale skin bruised with soot, and her wings snapped and shattered, the maiden emerged from the fog. To the Queen's dismay, the ship was still aloft. It was badly damaged, and flying at an angle, but it was hastening to the kingdom's border. Funnels of smoke from the ignited interior streamed through the sky, casting a trail as the vessel continued over the city. Another small explosion cast off one of the propeller towers which fell smouldering to the rooftops below, but still the airship didn't waver. Garnet clutched the spear buried in the stage, severed from its chain by the explosion.

Blood bubbled in Brahne's arteries. Her grip on the fan intensified, until her nails dug into the palm of her hands, and the wood creaked in defiance; it snapped in her grasp as she watched the theatre ship pass from view into the darkness beyond the city; panting, Queen Brahne's breath burned with the energy of her rage.

(!)

Baku managed to guide what remained of the airship to the cliffs outside Alexandria, but after that the systems failed one by one, and the Prima Vista began to descend. It missed the ragged edges of the precipice where the Alexandrian illumination disappeared, casting the crew into the full terror of the darkness as they glided down into the Mist. The deathly fog surrounded them like a poisonous embrace. The engines were overwhelmed by the power increase, and Baku lost control, the wheel no longer allowing him any influence over their landing. The gauges all but popped from their sockets as the gears ticked and hissed, trying to process the sudden income of fuel to no avail.

"We're gonna crash!" cried Cinna.

They tumbled through the sky barely able to stay upright, the engine roaring like thunder. The trees appeared underneath them suddenly as the Mist cloud thinned, allowing streams of moonlight to reach the forest. As the hull brazed the leaves, forming a trench in the treetops, the engine let out a ghastly wail, and finally overloaded. For miles around, the beasts and monsters of the forest saw the fire rise up between the ferns.

(!)

"Garnet," Queen Brahne whispered, angrily. She'd been alone on the balcony for so long, the lanterns had burned cold and died, but someone had replaced her broken fan, allowing her to waft the warmth of her face. "I never imagined you would do such a thing," she spoke to the aphotic horizon, still able to see an image of the girl drawing away from her mother's grasp. "Perhaps you're not such a helpless little girl anymore…"

Daughter or no, Princess or no, a traitor of Alexandria, was a traitor to Alexandria and needed to be dealt with accordingly. There was nothing to hold the Queen back now from doing what she needed to do.

"Zorn!" The blue jester stepped out from beyond the chair where he had been hiding, afraid of the Queen's uninhibited anger. Thankfully, her tone was lighter now, more determined than scolding.

"Thorn!" The other twin stepped out to receive instruction. The Queen did not look at them, barely even acknowledged their presence; her eyes didn't leave the spot she'd been staring at for at least an hour. "Is our little experiment ready?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. It is combat-ready," Zorn assured her, jumping with anticipation. Would they at last get to use it?

His brother was over-zealous at the idea as well, and added "easily terminate Princess Garnet it can, Your Majesty."

"I need her alive!" she hissed back at them, swinging her hefty body around to glare at them. The jesters cowered away, covering their heads. "Bring her back at once!"


	8. V1 Chapter 8 The Devil's Luck

**Volume 1 **

**Chapter 8 **

**The Devil's Luck**

The Mist lingering like an uninvited guest above the forest was made green where the moonlight tried to breach its density. Zidane woke staring up at the ferns silhouetted against the jade skies. He'd been unconscious, the buzzing ache in his head told him that much, but he wasn't sure how long, and he was alone amongst the hissing and barking of wild things. Slowly, he turned himself over, scanning his body for any sign of breaks or tears, but a growth of soft moss had padded his fall, and other than a few bruises the thief was in good condition. He pushed himself to his hands and knees, surprised by how easy it was to see the clustered woodland around him; the trunks gave off an eerie blue luminescence giving a similar glow as the moon might have. The ship however wasn't to be found, neither were his brothers, or Garnet, or the mage-kid.

Holding the tender point on his head, where the pain was ignited by moving, Zidane stood and took a quick inspection of where he was. Behind him some of the trees had been torn to stumps, crowned by jagged splintered edges. He followed the line of broken trunks running along the forest edge to his right, to a crevice nearby. A wellspring of smoke poured from the crater, blocking out the crisp lines of the ferns growing on the lower land. Suddenly, Zidane could hear the crackling of fire. As quickly as he could with the throbbing in his head, Zidane made his way over to the edge. The precipice narrowed onto a jut in the rock, a jetty like a bird's beak sticking out over the land below. Careful not to slip on the damp surface of the stone, Zidane peered over to the crater floor, his vision passing down the greenery to find the source of the rising fumes. An injured beast huddled below between the trees. All the propeller torrents were gone, leaving a flightless husk and a buckled hull. The smoke billowed from gashes in its sides, and it seemed to groan in agony. The Prima Vista, or at least what was left of it.

(!)

"Owww … my back is killing me!" Baku lifted himself of the wheel, and turned to where Cinna was strewn over the console. "Are you alright?" Cinna had already pulled himself up and stepped nearer to his boss.

"Yeah, but the Prima Vista's wasted!"

The boss turned his attention to the smashed windscreen where the woods stared hungrily back at him. Figures in the distance moved across the creaks in the glass, strangely illuminated by the blueberry hue.

"Just our luck to crash into this forest…" he commented. "It's gonna get interesting…"

"What do you mean '_interesting_' boss?" Cinna replied. "I hear no one's ever made it outta here alive." And he was right of course; the place was infamous, and riddled with stories of brave adventurers who never returned from its depths. However, Baku reasoned to himself, none of those people had ever belonged to Tantalus.

"Boss!" Blank hurried in, panicked searching for the man amidst the chaos of fallen objects. "There's fire everywhere! It's outta control!"

"Quit yer whinin' and get it under control!" boomed the leader, un-phased, turning from the window to face both his comrade and the issue. "And get the wounded outta here!"

"Alright!" Blank said, and signalled to his boss in the traditional manner of their troupe before vacating the helm-room to get on with the tasks.

"Get our goods outta here, too: weapons, items, anything we can use!" Baku barked at Cinna. "There's no way we'll survive if all our stuff is toast."

"I'm on it!" and Cinna signed his acknowledgement, which was returned by Baku, before the pop-bellied creature ran after Blank to aid in the emergency.

(!)

"Phew…" huffed Cinna, slumped beside inventory he'd managed to save. "I'm beat…"

The injured turned out to be most of the orchestra, who'd fallen through the ship when the stage collapsed, and the backstage teams, who were what the stage had fallen onto. All the Tantalus brothers remained intact … apart from Zidane who no one could find. They tried not to concern themselves with the issue as they salvaged what they could from the burning wreckage, using the water from a swamp nearby to douse the flames. It was hard work carrying the causalities out and finding patches dry enough to lay them down, and harder still to cart barrels of food and crates of weapons to safety, but they quickly had the situation organised. Cinna stood again, and moved back to the entrance, a hole he'd bashed into the side of the hull to form an escape route. Embers could still be seen smouldering through the gaps in the distorted wood like angry eyes staring out onto the forest.

"Hurry up and put out the fire!" he cried, "I can't carry 'em all by myself!"

One of the Rhino twins exited the ship from the makeshift entryway carting a moaning conductor over his head like a piece of ply-board. He moved to where Cinna had already placed the bleeding trumpet player, and let the man drop; the unconscious man rolled through the air and landed face down on the trumpeter, who winced as the breath was knocked from his body, but was too weak to protest or hoist the conductor himself.

"What the hell are they doin'! The whole ship's gonna burn up!" said Cinna, to him angrily.

"They're lookin' for Garnet… Can't find her anywhere," Zenero explained. He shrugged, unmoved the issue. "Maybe she fell off… Got squashed under the ship." And he walked back towards the ship to help carry out the remaining survivors.

"This is great. First we kidnap her, then we kill her. We'll hang for sure."

(!)

Zidane jumped off the last rock, and landed next to tree which had suffered as the engine exploded. Those closest ferns to the vessel were black and dead, and smelt strongly of wood-fires. He landed at the trunk of a particularly ill-fated fern where a moogle sat on a branch overlooking Tantalus's rescue mission. Zidane hurried through sludgy puddles to where he could see Cinna standing talking to Zenero. The man saw Zidane drawing closer and smiled as though astonished.

"Zidane," he said, smiling. The tailed boy was happy to see at least one his brothers was alive and unharmed. "I'm surprised you made it! I can't believe you jumped off! You're nuts, you know that?"

"I didn't jump off. I got thrown out from the impact." Zidane corrected him. "So, is everyone okay?"

"Yeah." But he didn't sound overly enthused by the statement. "We've all got the devil's luck. But if we don't find Princess Garnet, we're all dead meat."

Zidane started. They'd lost the princess?

(!)

"WHOOOA!"

Garnet and Vivi ran. Plenty of azure light guided their way through the forest undergrowth, but they couldn't see any shelter, or anywhere they might be able to hide. A steep hill led them into a clearing where a stony expanse prevented trees from taking root. The slope was angled so it carried up through a hole in higher ground. Vivi caught his foot on a jagged rock where the hill met the flat land.

"Are you alright!" Garnet asked. She'd heard him hit the ground, and turned to ran back and quickly aid him to his feet. This area was quiet void of the grumble of the beast that had been chasing them, but Garnet kept her ears open as she picked the boy up.

"I-is it still coming?" he asked. They turned to face the weird depression from which they had ran, scanning for any sign, but only the glow of the trees returned their gazes.

A thunderous ramble sounded again, but the beast couldn't be seen. Vivi backed away, a tight feeling twisting his stomach, certain the creature would come into view at any moment. Neither saw the shadow as it moved across the ground from the other direction, through the sheeted light of a bioluminescent tree, and stopped beneath Garnet's feet. Only when the darkness spread out like a pool below her boots did Vivi glance up and see it falling from above them.

"Watch out!"

(!)

Zidane didn't hang around to find out if Garnet was still aboard the ship, he didn't even check if Blank and the others were still kicking, he headed deeper into the forest determined to find her, and that kid while he was at it. The feeling of the princess slipping from his grasp as the ship hit the rock wouldn't leave him, and made his body cold. She too must have been flung from the stage as he had, and if so, she couldn't have been far, but there was no telling if the princess had been as fortunate in her landing as he had.

From where the ship lay, Zidane found a felled truck, eaten hollow by insects or trolls, leading down to a swampy pond. The water had gone turgid becoming a festering colour of brown, and it smelt like the wrong side of death, but frogs were happily hopping about the undergrowth, and large toadstools grew up from beneath the murky surface, so Zidane figured it wasn't poisonous. He gave no more thought to the matter as he trouped through the sludge, disturbing the amphibians as he ran. Here the trees were darker and didn't shine as some of the others had, and he passed into their shadows with a growing sense of unease. Somewhere he could hear shouting, screaming, roaring, and the unmistakable sound of rusted metal.

They were there, all of them just where the water became shallow and joined the land again; Vivi, sat shivering on the moss staring ahead, the light of his eyes shaking "Sh-she's in trouble…" Zidane wasn't sure if the kid was addressing him, or whether he was just speaking to himself, but he jumped automatically into a fighting pose. He followed the kid's line of sight.

"…What the hell is that?"

The beast was like an uprooted stump given movement; it snarled at Steiner through a mouth that appeared to have been hacked by a clumsy lumberjack, and it held the princess in a prison of leaves atop its … head? Two great vines extended from either side of its body, curled up threateningly, ready to whip the knight when necessary. Steiner was shaking his fists at as though it were a child in need of strict discipline.

"Release the princess at once!" he shouted. Zidane pulled out his daggers, and rolled his eyes at the stupid man.

"Yeah, like it's gonna really listen to you." He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Inside the mutant's clutches, Garnet was quivering. "Come on!" In response to his war cry, the beast stretched its tentacles.

Zidane was filled with adrenaline; his ship lay battered, his brothers injured, and now Garnet knelt terrified at the mercy of an over-ambitious shrub. Watching her struggle against her cage, something snapped in the thief, and a pool of anger broke from a dam in his mind through to his body. The feeling passed from emotion to a physical tingling and spread quickly, as easily as his blood, until he couldn't contain its ferocity. Amaranth light shone under his skin, so strong it's glow pushed through his clothes; at the same time streams of azure formed around his shape, spiralling like drunken snakes, luring the pink out further. When they collided, Zidane knew he was stronger, could feel his energy, his determination and power, grow with the radiating blue. Everything exploded with dizzying intensity; the blue relented to the amaranth, which pierced through the azure shell in beams. Infused with energy he could feel pulsing in his spirit, Zidane leapt upwards.

"Wh-what is that light!" Steiner stammered beside him.

The thief looked different; some other form had cloaked his usual appearance with one of dazzling fuchsia. His clothes had been replaced by thick fur around his upper torso and thighs, and his eyes were blazing. However, Zidane himself didn't seem surprised or excited by what had happened to him, only stood facing the beast, his daggers drawn and his stance steady.

"I don't know. Somehow, it raises my power," he calmly explained, but his voice had altered as well to a tone deeper and more resonating.

"Could it really be Trance…!" The knight fumbled quickly through the textbooks of his mind, to recall the magical theories and exactly what they specified. "I've heard of it before!" Zidane's condition ticked the boxes one by one; the light, the increased strength, and the transformation of body and mind. "Trance is induced by a surge of emotion," he explained.

"Alright, let's take him!"

Steiner's attention reverted back to the matter at hand.

They hadn't been struck yet, and it turned out that the creature hadn't raised his appendages to attack them. Instead, it curled them up towards Garnet, letting the tips slip between the bars of her prison, and gently rest on her shoulders. The princess let out a scream. Streams of energy wove around the barbs on the plant creature's vines and wrapped around the princess; white orbs began to ebb out of Garnet, sweeping from her chest and arms, they formed a track down around the monster to its hideous mouth, and were eaten. Weakened, Garnet fell to her side, and coughed, but the monster straightened itself, rejuvenated and lashed out at Zidane. A barb ripped a tear into his cheek, and the anger deepened with the sting.

Steiner struck the beast with his sword. The attack wasn't very effective – while the monster winced a little, the knight's weapon became lodged a moment in it's sturdy flesh, and Steiner had to summon extra force to yank it back out again. Where the blade had punctured was a dent like a woodsman's initial mark in a tree. Grunting, the stump merely positioned its arms and wrangled more power from it's helpless captive. The breach Steiner had made zipped closed again. Anger still burned to Zidane's core, building, and etching to be allowed free; if the monster wanted energy, Zidane would dish him a serving.

Channelling the rage at his gut, Zidane jumped, hoisting his dagger into the air and letting the magic of Trance flow unrestricted. The power surged through his arm and up into the blade, and Zidane could still feel it inside as it moved across the space before him to the monster. Over-excited energy latched itself to the beast's bulbous form; a ring of blue light haloed it from it's feet to it's head, protecting Garnet who remained outside the barrier. Multiple explosions, small and contained, but rippling through the creature's form caused it to roar with pain. In all the explosions, white circles within blue circles and orange fire at the very heart, Zidane could see the symbols blasted in the air, a message of revenge served.

Injured and frightened, the stump beast gave a hog like squeal, fringed with the creaking of wood, and curled its appendages around the tree branches above. With a snarl it lifted itself high, into the shadow of the leaves, and disappeared from view taking Garnet with it.

"Princess? PRINCESS!" Steiner called. He and Zidane searched the eerie shade above for any sign of her or her captor.

"What the heck? Where'd they go?" Zidane asked himself.

Nearby, Vivi was trembling. He shook his head violently. "She's gone," he said, and walked over to where he had tripped, remembering how the princess had returned for him. Ashamed, he turned to the others who were still searching the boughs above for any sign of her. "I was too scared to cast any spells… That monster's probably going to eat her…" and racked with guilt he covered his face, lowering his head to hide himself beneath the brim of his hat.

"How could I let this happen!" moaned Steiner.

"Don't worry. She's not dead yet. That monster was only a minion. He's probably gonna take her to his master." Zidane explained.

The knight's face lit up like a freshly sparked candle. "That means the princess might still be-" he stopped, forgetting that strain of words and adopting a serious face once again. "Come! We must go find her at once!"

Vivi saw it before anyone else did, like a giant spider descending down upon him from the forest ceiling. He caught the attention of the others with a load "WHOA!" but before any of them could react, another of the plant creatures swung itself down on the mage. Upside-down, its spread leaves fixed themselves over the boy, securing him in a cage like that which had held the princess. Both Zidane and Steiner withdrew their weapons, taken aback by the sudden appearance of the thing. It hung there a moment suspended, and then flipped itself over. Inside it's trap, Vivi screamed. With it's vines suspended, the beast prepared to swing away as before, but Zidane heaved his dagger into one tendril, and Steiner followed suit with the other.

"Let me go! Help me!" Viv cried. He trembled as his captor fell down off the branches.

Vivi saw the two men ready to fight for his freedom, and the moment the creature had landed, he summoned his courage and called upon his magic. Fire ignited underneath the monster, blasting upwards in bright yellow flame, coating the beast in a cloud of heat which reached just below where Vivi sat atop it's head. It squirmed and writhed, it's body squealing as the flames licked hungrily at it's bark, and while the spell was not enough to kill it, as the magic died away, Zidane watched the plant's tendrils drop slightly, and its footing falter. "Magic seems effective!" Steiner called to Vivi, encouragingly.

A black crust tarnished the beast's shell, and when Steiner struck the bark this time it creaked beneath the force; the monster flinched away. Just as it had done with the princess, the plant fed on Vivi, touching him with its browned, withering vines and absorbing his strength to repair itself. Perhaps it couldn't escape with it's vines so damaged! Zidane intended on keeping it that way! His power had been exhausted during the last attack, but adrenaline still coursed through him, and he struck out with his blades aiming to further weaken the stems so it could no longer drain Vivi. Meanwhile, Stainer battered at the bulk of the beast, the peeling crust of the stump. The monster still had bite left in him. He flexed his tendrils onto Vivi once more, taking another dose of his life, causing the boy to sink down a little, and struck out at the men, first at Steiner, who was protected by his armour, and quickly hit back, and then at Zidane who received another whelp on his arm.

Watching, the mage forced his body to stop quivering, knowing that he had to help them. He summoned his magic again, forcing as much will into the spell as he could, fuelling the magic with his fear and guilt, to blast the beast into submission. Another wellspring of flames pooled at the plant's feet, more intense this time, singeing what remained of it's coat, seeping into the chips made by the fighter's weapons and burning it from the inside.

The monster shuddered, broken at last by Vivi's attack; it's tendrils curled up in an attempt to save itself, but they faltered before reaching the mage, and the beast flopped lifeless to the ground, the vines laying it tatters beside it. The leaves containing the mage dropped down like withering petals, finally releasing the mage in a cloud of foul smelling gas. Vivi was too numb to notice the stench; all the fire inside him had gone out with his spell, and he climbed down off the corpse, shaking.

"Phew… Th-Thanks…" Vivi was still gazing at the fallen plant-thing, but turned to face his saviours.

"Are you alright?" Zidane asked him, scanning him for any obvious sign of injury. Vivi could see the thief was bleeding on his face and arm, and the knight stood stoic beside him. He felt warn, but imagined they had suffered worse.

"Y-Yeah… I think so."

In a final burst of life, the plant rose its cage up once more, and lifted its head behind Vivi. An acid stream of gas spurted from its nostril and spread out quickly where they stood. Standing closest, Vivi breathed it in and felt his body crumble beneath him. Steiner tried to jump away, but he could not get high enough to avoid the toxic clouds and managed to splutter an "UGH!" before the poison knocked him out. The thief flipped back and away, allowing the venomous vapour to pass below him. With nothing to take hold of, the spores died quickly in the air, disappearing into the swamp as Zidane landed posed again for attack, but the plant disintegrated before his eyes. The process by which it turned to dust was so swift Zidane thought it was simply fading back into the strange light of the Evil Forest.

Stainer reached out to where the beast had lain with a weak and trembling hand, and with a throaty exhale called "P-Prin…cess…" before flopping down with a clatter and blacking out completely.


	9. V1 Chapter 9 Breakin' the Rules

**Volume 1**

**Chapter 9 **

**Breakin' the Rules**

"You guys are lucky." Blank explained; Vivi's eyes were half-open, and he turned his head just slightly to acknowledge the thief's presence. Trying to keep the boy conscious as he removed a purple vile from his pocket, Blank continued, "If it weren't for Zidane, you'd both be dead." He gave the liquid a rattle to stimulate the ingredients. "Some of the monsters in this forest reproduce by planting seeds in other animals. And when the seeds sprout, it's hasta la vista: you're mincemeat."

Vivi watched the red blur of Blank's hair bobbing in front of his eyes; he recognised the man's voice from the play, and thought for a moment he was still in the audience. He couldn't breathe; his lungs felt full of fur, and wouldn't expand to let enough air in. The mage envisioned carnivorous plants embedding themselves in his body and sucking his life away, like the stump from before. As much as he was able, he widened his eyes. "Umm… A-Am I gonna die?" the words came out in a freighted croak.

"No. You're gonna be fine," Blank assured him. He placed a hand carefully beneath the boy's neck, and slowly lifted his head. "Here drink this. It'll remove all the seeds from your body."

He gently tilted Vivi's head up, enough to slowly pour the contents of the phial into his mouth. Viscous liquid hit the boy's tongue, tart and floral, like the smell lady's perfume. "Ugh…eeyuck…" Instantly, he felt his throat become less raw, and the effort he needed to breathe lessened. He was lowered gently back to the pillow, his vision still fuzzy, and was left to sleep.

(!)

Steiner would not rest until he found her, and there was nothing the host of criminals could do about it. "Princess… I'm coming right now…" he declared, but the words were slurred and interrupted by his wheezing. Everything was blurred around him, charcoal and grey and black, sweeping before his eyes in a pleasing and yet confounding pattern, and something was gently pushing him from behind. It was difficult to stand straight, and even harder to walk, but he kept one foot moving before the next, and even managed to focus his eyes on where he needed to go. The stairs he needed to take were bubbling like hot-oil, but they remained to his left, unlike the first door he'd to manoeuvre through. Determined, the knight started to descend, only to meet with a wobbly figure just a few painful steps down.

"…Stand aside!" he demanded, but a scratching sensation in his oesophagus whipped the intensity from his words.

Benero, the youngest Rhino twin, rolled his eyes, and forced the man to back up onto the landing. The knight dawdled back like a toddler, his head lolling about his neck. "Room behind you. Go."

"The princess… is in grave danger!" Steiner insisted. "Do you intend to ABANDON HER!"

"You're in no condition." Benero retorted.

"Don't worry about the princess. The boss'll think of something." Zenero tried to assure him, taking a more patient tone than his twin. He spun the knight around with his claws, so he faced the door to the music room.

"Hey!" Steiner protested, but his limbs were too heavy to strike against the rhino. Another hefty jab sent him into the door and through into the room beyond it. "Stop!"

The rhino brothers crowded in the entryway. "Get some rest." Zenero said.

"Yeah, and take that medicine I gave you," added Benero.

Steiner waddled into the room as the door was closed behind him; the resonating click of the lock reached his ears. Broken drum-kits and harps lay cluttered and burnt on one side of the room, and an organ short of most it's keys sat mournfully on the other; the knight stood hunched in the narrow space between them. No matter how much he quickened his breathing, his body still felt void of oxygen, and something mossy coated his throat. He was certain the thieves had done him harm to throw him off the scent of the Princess. What did they care if she perished? Wasn't that their despicable plot all along? With new resolve he tried to stand straight … but his body refused to obey.

"Dammit… I can't just stand here…" he croaked to himself. "The princess's life rests in my hands. What can their boss possibly accomplish!" Even if he bothered to go after her, there was no telling what he wanted with a member of the royal family. It was so hard to breathe, if he could only get a good lungful of air he was sure he'd be able to get out. The knight became aware of the bottle in his hands. A pungent smell leaked out from the loosened seal.

"This medicine … It smells terrible." he spoke as if someone were listening, one of his knights perhaps, who would substantiate his statement. He stared at it for a moment, watching the stodgy formula roll about in his shaking hands. "And the colour… This is obviously poison!"

_Huff-huff-heave-heave_. It was no use, so long as Steiner remained in this condition, there wasn't anything he could do. "Ugh… I can't take it anymore… God help me!" Shrugging away his concern, Steiner put the bottle to his lips and began to gulp down it's contents. The flavour sang merrily on his tongue like a well fermented wine, sharp yet fruity, and it soothed the dryness of his throat. "Hey… Not bad," he said, through the nose of the phial.

(!)

"Forget it." Baku replied simply, rubbing his chin, and looking down at Zidane from his place next to the helm. With the immediate dangers subsided, the fire put out and the casualties recovering, Zidane figured launching a princess rescue mission was the next course of action, but his Boss hadn't even heard him out before rejecting the idea completely. "Monsters born out of the Mist are crawlin' everywhere."

"So what?" Zidanes responded, quickly. "There's nothing out there we can't handle."

"Yeah, but what are we gonna do about the wounded?"

"We can take 'em with us." Zidane said.

"How are we gonna carry all of them?" Baku asked, and waited a moment as Zidane fumbled for an answer, but the boy had no solution at hand. "Trust me. We go out now, and we'll all get wasted." He turned away, preferring the scene outside the window to the desperate and disappointed expression on Zidane's face. The cut on his cheek had only just crusted over. "My boys come before the princess, you know. It's too bad…"

With a grunt, Zidane kicked out at the step separating him from his boss.

"We're gonna stay put 'til everyone recovers," Baku said, decisively, raising his arm in a fist in front of the glass. Then, like a father instructing an unruly child, he addressed the boy behind him. "You better not set one foot outside this ship. You got that!"

"I can't believe you're abandoning her!" Zidane shouted back, leaning forward ready to attack the man, his tail stretching out behind him as his hands balled into fists. He let himself relax again, and his tone dropped to one of disappointment. "You're nothing but a big coward!" he spat, and stormed from the room.

Sighing, his deep seated knowledge of Zidane filling his mind, Baku turned back to watch the flick of his boy's tail swing out of view.

(!)

The knight felt better, much better in fact; he was standing and breathing again with no effort, and his eyes focused as they should. Free of his ailments, he was now surveying the room, staring up and around the pile of drums against the blacked wall.

"Hmmm…" he turned around to inspect the wall behind him. A chest lay unopened next to a damaged piano, and the wood there had been damaged in the fire as well. "The structure is in poor condition." Thoughtful, he returned to the piano-stool nearby, and scanned the back wall and ceiling. "Perhaps I can break out by ramming into the wall." Crossing his arms, he thought through this idea. There was no telling if in his attempt to break out, he'd bring the whole ceiling down, and he'd have to move all the instruments away before he could even begin. No, that wasn't such a grand plan. Instead, Steiner hurried closer to the locked door, and embracing a new tactic, cried "FIRE! FIRE! LET ME OUT!" The strain caused his windpipe to convulse, "UGH!", and he leaned his hands on his knees, sucking in air. _Huff-Huff._ "I'm still not feeling well…" he moaned.

The knight returned to the stool and sat down, sighing, waiting for the potion to finish it's work. As much as he hated to admit it, the rhinos were correct, what good was he puffing and panting alone through the forest? He should conserve his strength and … Something was disturbing the comfort of his rump; it was soft, but irregular in shape, and it had nestled itself between the sheets of metal which protected his posterior. Steiner checked around to make sure nobody was observing from a secret crevice in the walls; who knew what attention his cry of fire had yielded?

"What's this?" Steiner reached back and yanked the object free of his buttocks. It turned out to be a rag-doll no bigger than Steiner's hand, and missing a button-eye. The dolly wore a pink dress and cotton crown, and aside from soot stains, she'd been spared the fire. "What an ugly doll…" on the front of her garment someone had scribbled in black ink. " 'Princess Garnet, age 15'! H-how dare they write the princess's name on such a ragged doll! Besides, the princess is not 15! She's 16!" A cold feeling suddenly shot through Steiner, and he loosened his grip on the toy, suddenly aware of its fragility."…Princess…"

(!)

Cinna checked the stack of supplies for the eighth time. "It should be here somewhere," he kept telling himself, retracting the steps he'd taken back and forth from the pile certain he'd find it in a crevice between the boxes, or trapped under a barrel. He ran along the stockpile to scan a couple of smaller crates stacked at jagged angles on top of each other; this is the spot he was certain he'd placed it, but once again, he found it wasn't there. "… Huh? Damn!" he hurried over to the selection of food crates near the broken tree, rooting through dried fruits in a hope he'd find it'd fallen through to the bottom. No dice. "Where is it!" Cinna moaned, frustrated. "What happened to my Garnet doll!" He was so sure, he'd saved her … or was he? The whole evacuation process had been so chaotic, maybe he hadn't picked her up at all, or if he had, maybe she'd dropped from his grasp along the way. "Man. How am I supposed to sleep now…?" He sat himself down on a patch of grass, and allowed himself to drop backwards and stare up at the sinister fern tops. "Geez… Poor little doll… The fire probably caught it."

(!)

Zidane found the mage asleep just as Blank had told him he would. Their room had survived well enough; the beds were at strange angles, and a dressing table mirror had met a grizzly end, but otherwise everything looked pretty much as it had. Someone had lit a candle on the sconce above Zidane's bed; the lamp on the bedside table lay nearby leaking oil onto the floorboards. The kid's eyes flickered to life as Zidane came nearer, their brightness returning as he uttered a sleepy "Oh…" and turned to find the thief standing beside him. Suddenly alert, Vivi sat up, readjusted his hat, and tried hard to look directly at the man. Blank's words returned to him; if it weren't for this man, he'd be dead."Th-Thank you for helping me."

"Ah, don't mention it," he replied, flippantly, waving the issue aside with his hands. "Besides, it was your black magic that saved the day. You know, you've got some major power for such a little guy." Vivi dropped his gaze; he'd never received a compliment for his abilities before, and he didn't know how to respond, but the thief misinterpreted his gesture. "What's wrong…? Are you peeved at me because I called you little?" he added apologetically, and then his voice became loud and confident. "Hey, you're a great mage with great powers, alright?" He leaned close to Vivi, his eyes bright and his smile broad. "To hell with looks. It's what's inside that counts."

"I'm sorry," Vivi began, shyly. "When that monster caught her, I couldn't do anything…"

"Hey, don't worry about the princess," he tapped his chest with his thumb, and continued to grin. "I'll get her back. I promise."

"Thank you, Mr. Zidane."

"Whoa," he laughed, taken aback, "that's the first time anyone's called me 'Mr'. Just call me Zidane, alright?"

"Okay… Zidane," and Vivi added a salute to assure his new friend that he understood.

Zidane left Vivi to rest again, and headed back out into the hallway; the symbol player was crashed out against the spiral staircase at the centre, but no one else was around. Zidane stopped and took a deep breath. "Geez… He was pretty down…" he folded his arms across his chest, and lowered his head, placing his thumb and forefinger on his chin. "Maybe I shouldn't have made that promise. I don't even know if I'll be able to find her…"

Zidane tried to clear his thoughts, picturing a white canvas on which his intuition could paint an idea of what he should do, but memories of that moment when they'd met, flooded in to fill the gap. He remembered the castle decorated in pristine marble which reflected the glow of the chandelier. In his vision, he saw himself halting at the top of the stairwell as she'd suddenly appeared on the upper landing, how their eyes had fixed for just a moment before the princess had hidden beneath her hood.

_She was cute… _

Even the way she'd spoken was adorable, the noble quirk to her voice as she quietly requested to be let by.

_The again, maybe I only thought so because she's a princess. _

She'd looked so sad, and so alone. Something behind the chocolate swirl of her eyes had illuminated her sorrow.

_Hmm… _

Zidane remembered his inspection of her … just to clarify she really was the Princess, of course. Even covered by that robe, Garnet had a fine form.

_No… She was definitely cute. _

Maybe they would have conversed more if Blank hadn't interrupted. He never thought to ask why she intended to run away from the castle, but she sure was determined to do so. In fact, Princess Garnet had been in such a hurry she'd almost bowled him down trying to get away. Now, he wondered why. What was it the girl was fleeing, and where was it she had planned to go?

Zidane shook the thoughts away. "Man, I can't stop thinking about her… What am I gonna do…?"

The thief figured he had two options; he could go look for the princess, which would mean disobeying the boss, or he could forget it and stick with Tantalus, which would mean leaving a helpless young woman to perish alone in a forest whose reputation spoke of no survivors. He couldn't believe he'd let himself even contemplate the situation. Of course he had to go find her!

"Yeah!" he resolved. "What's there to think about! She's cute … and she's in trouble. That's all that matters."

"…There you are."

Blank entered the hallway through the gap in the opposite wall where another door used to be. As Zidane approached, the burnt floorboards rattled beneath his feet.

"Why do you look so serious?" Blank asked, noting the determined, thoughtful look in his brother's eyes. Even his stride was a little on edge, his back straight his arms and legs moving in perfect motion. "Uh-oh… What are you up to this time?"

"I'm gonna take that knight and the black mage to find the princess."

"You're crazy!" Blank responded; his arm shot out, indicating to the death-trap waiting beyond the ship. "Man, you don't even know what's out there. Besides, there's no way the boss'll allow that."

Zidane took a deep breath, fixing his eyes on Blank's amber pupils. When he spoke, he did so quietly. "I know…"

Eyebrows dropping into a low frown, Blank shook his head. "Sheez… Why do you always gotta play hero?" his voice was pleading, and edged with annoyance. "The boss is gonna kill you." ZIdane didn't reply, and Blank sighed as a brief silence stretched itself between them. He wasn't able to look his brother in the eyes anymore, so he didn't see the corner of Zidane's mouth flicker up with the hint of a smile. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he nudged his head back the way he had come. "Go talk to the boss."

(!)

Baku was hunkered down in the corner of the meeting room next to the battered engine pipes and the storage chest. The clap of the door startled him, and he heaved himself up.

"Took you long enough… I fell asleep, damn it. So, you're leaving, eh?"

"Yeah… I promised Garnet I'd kidnap her."

"Gwahaha! I didn't ask you why?" Boomed the boss. "I can't blame you, though. She's damn beautiful. I guess that's reason enough!" He moved his head so it clicked twice, and eyed Zidane up and down. "Well, I hope you're ready! Cause I'm gonna bust you up for breakin' the rules."

"…Alright."

The boss moved a step closer to Zidane, but his gaze was fixed on the clutter piled up behind the crippled table, before drifting to the precarious slant of the shelving unit in the corner, the contents of which now littered the floor. "Okay, get your butt over to the cargo room. We got more room there." He brushed past Zidane, who watched him leave, sizing the man up as he kicked the door open and passed through into the cargo-hold. Suddenly, his leader appeared three-times larger than Zidane had ever remembered.

Taking on Baku with three brothers during a training exercise was one thing, but fighting the boss alone as a form of punishment was another. As Zidane stepped out into the cargo-room, he took a slow steadying breath; Baku was already in place on the Tantalus rug, it's fringes singed by the recent fire. Light spilled in from the upper landing, and the puncture wounds in the hull, creating a mash of eerie bioluminescent blue from the trees outside, and the flickering ginger of the hall lanterns. Two of the orchestra members, who Zidane supposed had been eavesdropping through the door, stood next to the piles of charred costumes and set pieces. Removing his blades, Zidane positioned himself opposite his boss. The man withdrew his blade, not the false painted prop he used in their former battles which would only mark his adversaries with dye, but a genuine blade capable of tearing into flesh. "I ain't holdin' back."

The severity of the remark was lost however, when as Baku came charging forward he tripped on a wrinkle in the carpet and fell onto his belly, crying "YEOWWW!" Zidane wasn't about to strike the man while he was down, but instead rushed forward, tucking one of his daggers away momentarily and pulling another weapon from the boss's belt. An Iron Sword came free of it's scabbard, and Zidane leapt back as Baku got to his feet. The man came at Zidane again the second he was standing, gaining speed by running, and then deliberately toppling the sword into Zidane with a clumsy swing. "Rrrragh!" The blade came down heavily onto the smaller thief, scoring a prominent line into his chest-guard, and continuing to scratch through his torso right to the knee of his left leg. Adreline pumping through him, Zidane hardly felt it, returning the attack quickly aiming a blow at the boss's torso.

There was a reason during practise fights the boys were allowed to use real blades while Baku did not; Baku had tough skin. Zidane could feel the toughness of the man's leathery skin, as his blade struggled to break it. "Gwahahaha! That tickles!" laughed the boss, as Zidane retreated. Still chuckling, Baku bounced high into the air, springing off his knees like a man half his mass. Zidane watched as he rose into the air; he came hurtling down again, and Zidane leaned away just in time to avoid the blade slicing through the centre of his face. He managed a couple more blows to the legs and chest, but nothing substantial enough to even make the boss bleed. "You gotta fight better than that!" Baku reminded him. "Bring it on!" He came charging head first at Zidane, bounding in a drunken skip across the floorboards; Zidane braced himself, pointing his daggers outwards, and raising his shoulder to protect his head. Baku staggered, jumped and spun, and slammed into the boy full force with the back of his head.

The knock was fierce enough to send up dust; Zidane received a bash to the entire upper half of his body, and the sudden pain rattled through him, but the force of the movement forced Zidane's blades to pierce Baku's thick shell, and finally the man yelped out. The daggers had only chipped small holes into the man's shoulder blades, but with the additional agony of the head-butt afflicting Baku as well, Zidane took a chance. While Baku recovered, Zidane ran forward, skidding behind Baku and rip a cut between the two puncture wounds. To intensify the head pain, Zidane clonked the man with the hilt of his dagger right between the ears.

"Alright," Baku announced, a little dazed, pointing at Zidane now standing opposite him again, and lowering his sabre. "You win."

Grinning, Zidane put his daggers back into their scabbards; sometime during the fight, Blank had also crept in to watch, and now stood nearby, and he gave his brother a approving nod.

"I'll be damned…" Baku boomed, impressed, the tips of his mouth curled into a proud smile beneath his heavy beard. He stepped closer to Zidane, swinging his arm back "Bravo!" and with that bought the full force of his fist hard into Zidane's diaphragm. All the air in Zidane's lungs left him at once; the boy couldn't so much as whimper as he bent over, motes of light swirling in his vision. "Go find your princess!" He turned, leaving Zidane bent over himself, and laughed "Gwhahahaha…" all the way down the hall.

Sucking in a new batch of oxygen, Zidane crumbled to his knees, covering the tender point on his torso which was beginning to bruise in the shape of Baku's fist, his tail curling up behind him. "Damn, that hurt!" he winced, as he slowly stood again. "He pulled his punches 'til that last one."

It was true. As hard as Baku had fought him, it wasn't nearly as violently as he could have.


	10. V1 Chapter 10 Awakened Forest

**Volume 1**

**Chapter 10 **

**Awakened Forest **

After sleeping off the remainder of his ailments, Steiner contented himself by focusing his attentions on the rag-doll. The lifeless creature flopped around in his hand, never failing to smile her stitched grin, while Steiner stroked her pigtails and tried to smooth the wrinkles from her dress. He wasn't sure how long he'd been locked in that room, but as the minutes passed his stomach tightened further, and he wondered how long the princess could survive without him. The idea that she might be dead …

"...…"

The lock clicked and the door swung open, and for a moment Steiner thought Garnet had managed to struggle back alone and save _him_. He jumped up from the stool, but was instead greeted by the tailed hooligan who'd gotten them all into this mess in the first place.

"Come on," Zidane chuckled, his eyes locking onto the toy as he walked into the room. "You're too old to be playing with a doll."

"Silence!" shrieked Steiner, shaking his hands at the thief. "A scoundrel like you could never understand! I'm just overwhelmed with concern for the princess! If only you rogues hadn't kidnapped her… This is all your fault!" He threw out his hand at Zidane, rattling the dolly just inches from his nose. "If anything should happen to the princess, I will have your head!"

"Take it easy. Geez…" Zidane said, quickly, before the knight could continue his tirade. "I'm gonna go look for her now. I'll let you come with me if you promise to be good." His voice was fringed with just the right amount of condescension, but the knight failed to see the joke. "What do you say, Rusty?"

Steiner's face turned cardinal; the colour fanned up from his cheeks all the way to his forehead, and the man started jumping repeatedly, causing his armour to clatter. "RR…RUSTY!" he managed to stammer, and planted himself down once again, glaring at Zidane with fierce eyes. "I am Adelbert Steiner, Captain of the Knights of Pluto, and I will never work with you conniving thieves!" The last few words he spat.

"Captain? I figured you were a private what with that cheap, rusty armour…" The whole display had amused Zidane to the point where he couldn't resist further pulling the man's strings, but as he watched Steiner's poppy complexion deepen, he put on a serious expression. "Look, this has nothing to do with Tantalus. It's something I decided to do on my own. I just wanna save Garnet."

Never in his thirty-three years had the Captain believed a thief, or any criminal for that matter. Felons didn't have the right to be treated like truthful members of society after they'd plundered and cheated for wealth and personal gain; they deserved to hang, and often times even that was too good for them. However, this logic wavered slightly when Steiner heard Zidane talk of saving Garnet; the way his eyes had never wandered from the knight's as he spoke, and the simple manner in which he'd said the words, actually made Steiner consider the boy was sincere. "Hmph…!" Uncomfortable with the idea of trusting the delinquent, Steiner clenched his fists, and through gritted teeth said, "You had better not be lying! Because if you are, I won't hesitate to kill you!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm counting on you, Rusty." Zidane dipped his head in a half-nod half-bow, hoping to placate Steiner; he was surprised the man had agreed so quickly.

"Make no mistake. I'm only going with you to rescue the princess! I will deal with you personally when this is over!"

"… Whatever."

"It may be difficult with just the two of us." Steiner thought for a moment, and then nodded as he said, "We should seek Master Vivi's help as well."

Amused, Zidane raised an eyebrow. "Why are you calling him 'Master'?"

"You fool. That black mage has unimaginable powers… I don't want to get him involved, but alas, it can't be helped. We need Master Vivi's powers to rescue the princess."

The thief wished he hadn't asked. Apparently, Rusty couldn't give a simple answer to anything; that would make for an interesting trip through the forest. "Alright, let's go talk to Vivi."

(!)

The mage was where Zidane had left him earlier; much like Steiner he seemed to have recovered from the affects of the seeds. His eyes shone bright from underneath his hat, and his breathing was back to normal, and he smiled as Zidane and the knight approached. "Well, Vivi," Zidane began, "we're ready to go look for the princess."

"Really! That's great! Be careful, okay?" was Vivi's perky response as he bid them good-luck with a quick salute.

"Actually, we want you to come with us, too."

"Huh!" the friendly expression on the mage's face dropped to one of surprise. An image of the monster from the forest, the feeling of claustrophobia being trapped in its pungent leaves, wouldn't escape his mind. "B-But I can't do anything."

"Hardly, Master Vivi. Your magic was highly effective against that monster." Steiner responded, with wide gestures of his hands. "In all honesty, I hold your power in greater esteem than I do this scoundrel's." The boy looked quickly at Zidane, almost apologetically, and then turned back to face the knight.

"B-But… I'm scared," he admitted, moving his hands together over his chest, "I couldn't even move last time."

"Please, Master Vivi. For the sake of Princess Garnet and all of Alexandria, I humbly request your assistance!"

"Come on! You're a black mage, for crying out loud! Show us what you've got!" encouraged Zidane. "Alright, let's get going."

Vivi swallowed down the acid feeling in this throat; he didn't want to let down the people who had rescued him, especially since it was his fault Princess Garnet had been taken in the first place. "…Okay." He put on a weak smile, "I'll… try my best."

"Thank you, Mater Vivi."

The boy got down from the bed and started to follow Zidane out the room, but Steiner, who had let the thief pass him, put out a hand. "Master Vivi…"

"Yeah?" he stopped and looked up at the man.

"It's about your black magic. I wish to try an experiment." The knight knelt down opposite Vivi, and began to whisper, "I was wondering if…" and he glanced at the door, perhaps to see if Zidane was still lingering, before lowering his voice even further. When he was finished, he gazed at Vivi with the pleading expression of a five-year-old.

"Magic sword…? Okay. I'll give it a try."

(!)

Whatever Steiner wanted to speak to Vivi about was none of Zidane's concern; all he really needed to concentrate on was getting the three of them through the forest alive, and on the right path to finding Garnet. He left his new comrades to talk, and headed alone to the makeshift entrance. When he stepped into the wrecked hallway, Blank was waiting for him. Taking his usual stance, Blank leaned beside the sconce, one foot perched on the wall behind him, with his arms crossed in defiance over his chest. He'd hoped Zidane would come to his senses, but as usual the idiot couldn't see the wood for the trees even in a forest this dense.

"Sheez… you really dig her, huh?" he said, haughtily.

"I can't sit around knowing a girl's in trouble. Goes against my nature." Zidane replied.

"Whatever. You're full of crap."

This abrupt insult only caused Zidane amusement; he leaned down to get a better view of Blank's scowl, hidden as he glowered at the ground by the tufts of his hair. "Ohhh…. I get it. You're jealous that I'm gonna get me a sweetie pie."

"Pshhh… She's not even my type." mumbled Blank. He unfolded his arms to remove something bulky from a pouch on his belt. "I came down here to give you this."

"You're always thinking about me…but I won't need a love potion to reel this one in."

"Why don't you get your mind off girls for a second?" snapped Blank, holding out the same purple style of bottle he always used for his tinctures. "This is the medicine I gave to that black mage and the knight. It's sort of like a seed remover."

"Cool. This'll really come in handy." Zidane walked to his brother and received Blank's medicine. As soon as the bottle had left his grip, Blank folded his arms again.

"Why am I always helping you…?" he grumbled. "Oh yeah. Here's a little tip from the boss." He slipped a folded piece of parchment from his pocket and held it out between his fingers for Zidane.

_Don't forget to _

_set your abilities. _

_Leaving the band is your business, _

_but you better keep training!_

_Learning more abilities is _

_gonna make you even stronger._

_Good Luck, _

_Baku_

Trust Baku to ensure he got that little titbit. "Thanks, Blank. I'll see you when I see you." Zidane turned away from his brother, the note still clutched in his hand, and headed for the exit.

"How about never?" the red-headed thief called after him, and Zidane smiled to himself.

(!)

"Okay, let's really liven up this place!" called the conductor, standing on a couple of piled up crates and waving his wand earnestly at his recovered musicians. So far only four of his orchestra had the ability to play, but soon the others would join as well, and what better way to spur their restoration than with song. He'd chosen a particularly peppy tune from a play he couldn't remember the name of … seven something, or something seven. _Rufus's Welcoming Ceremony_ rang joyously through the ship.

"Yeah, let our music do the fighting against those monsters!" agreed the violinist.

"This oughta boost morale" chimed the cymbalist both with words and through his instrument.

"This is great!" the drummer added.

"Brrum, brrrum, brrrruuum!" The trumpeter blew the words through the tube of his trumpet, and while no one knew exactly what he was trying to say, they understood what he meant perfectly.

Hearing the ensemble from the helm room, Baku came back down to the cargo hold to investigate the noise. When he saw how many of the orchestra were back on their feet, and just how excitedly they had taken to performing, the boss beamed at them. "Hey, not bad!" he walked through the collection of musicians to the hallway entrance. "I'm gonna go take a look around. Stay on your toes. We'll be leaving soon."

"Alright!" "Okay, Boss!" "Okay, Boss!" "Okay, Boss!" "Brrruuuum!"

(!)

Zidane, Vivi and Steiner travelled through the forest in silence, keeping their senses alert to changes in sounds or moving shadows which indicated a goblin or a fang, the beasts that dwelled in the undergrowth eager for a fresh kill. The trio walked back through the swamp to where they had last seen Garnet, taken by the prison cage, and on Vivi's instruction, continued down a steep hillside to another area of low-lying mire. Here the trees created dams for water with their twisted roots, creating filthy pools, but as Zidane trudged through them he realised they were not-stagnant, and that meant the water was being renewed by a nearby supply. They were close to the river; if Zidane listened closely, he could hear the roar of it's current; if they carried on the direction they were going, they'd eventually reach the Alexandrian Falls.

The expanse of land heading away from the pools seemed to have formed on-top of the tree roots, the ground founded by compact silt between the woody vines and coated in a fleece of moss. Mounds of shifted dirt were piled against trunks which literally leaned to make way for the humps, their mushroom shrouded bases stretched into odd screaming faces. Carefully, the group made their way across a narrow passage, weaving around the myriad of plant-life, which seemed to respond to their footsteps.

After an hour or so of walking, keeping to the track laid out by the river, they found a clearing in which to rest. At first the small break in the forest didn't seem any different to what they had journeyed through. It was a circular break in the thickness of the trees, where toadstools grew tall around the edges, and the ground was a bed of fungus. As they approached they startled a moogle, who bustled to a hollowed out stump in the shadow and hopped inside, it's pom bobbing about just over the wall of bark. The difference came in the sudden silence of the world around them; the grunts and threats of beasts died away the nearer they came to the centre, where a huge stump of a long-dead tree formed a basin of clear water.

"Hmm… No sign of any monsters here," Zidane said, peering around. Curious, he headed over to the stump. They must have been nearer to the river than he had suspected. "A spring.." he announced, with surprise. A trickle of pressured water bubbled up beside the trunk, probably pushed up from beneath the ground by a wayward current. They stopped to revitalise themselves, drinking mouthfuls of the little fountain, and instantly feeling restored.

(!)

Blank followed his boss along the hallway, surprised by the instructions he'd just received. "Are you sure about this?" he asked. Baku halted when he reached the spiral stairway leading to the helmsroom and faced the red-head.

"Yeah, don't worry. We'll be outta here soon, too." He placed a hand on the inside of his waistcoat, and removed a scroll of parchment, fixed with a piece of old string. "Here, take this map. It's gonna be a long trip back to Lindblum…" With a nod, Blank took the parchment.

"Alright. I'll see you later."

"I'm countin' on you!" and Baku stood to attention, raising his hands over his heart as he spoke; Blank followed his lead. After they'd signalled they parted ways, the boss heading upstairs just as Marcus came hurrying down, and Blank making for the makeshift exit out into the forest.

(!)

Just past the spring, Zidane found the river running parallel to a thicket of decaying stumps, over which reeds could be seen swaying with the motion of the current. They passed by quickly, each man sensing they were close to their destination by the way the forest seemed to scowl hungrily at them. The river disappeared from view again, as the land rose into another dense cluster of woodland.

They didn't notice the crimson highlights reflecting in the ripples of the chartreuse water from the opposite bank, where vines crawled up the walls of a stone hive, their thorns stripping the fungus from the surface of the rock. A hiss reverberated through the lair as it watched them walk along the stretch, it's senses picking up the vibrations of their steps as they trudged closer. The beast, bathed in the scarlet luminescence of its own petals, bore its fangs and waited.


	11. V1 Chapter 11 The Master

**Volume 1**

**Chapter 11**

**The Master **

"There she is!"

Garnet appeared as an orange smudge at the back of the cave suspended by thick vine around her arms and midriff; her face was concealed by shadow, but her head hung limply, and she wasn't moving. Vines occupied every available surface; they dominated the walls and hung down from the ceiling, and even layered the floor making for unsteady footing. They pulsed and wiggled like worms in soil pushing through crevices in the stone, and out into the forest, and at the centre of it all, sitting atop a mound of slithering vines, was the largest flower Zidane had ever seen. The beast took up almost the entire cave from floor to ceiling, with appendages spanning all the way to the wall. Two back stems held it firmly in place, but there was no way around it. It hissed at them through a small mouth at the middle of its crimson flower, its stamen bobbing angrily.

"So, this is the master."

"Princess!" Stainer looked from Garnet to the beast and back again, and then turned to Zidane, his eyebrows low over his eyes. "You stay out of this! Alexandria would be disgraced if a mere bandit should rescue the princess."

Zidane scoffed a laugh, and indicated with his head towards the master, still growling at them. "You think you can handle him on your own?" A part of the thief wanted the knight to answer yes, to see him attempt to tackle something so horrendously large unaided, but Steiner didn't respond. He looked instead at the serrated edges of the flower's mouth and his fists twisted with frustration.

"…"

As Zidane withdrew his blades, the plant reeled its arms back preparing to strike. "Let's get him, Vivi!"

Somewhat reluctantly, Vivi followed Zidane as he sprinted towards the creature, and somewhere behind him Steiner's armour clanked as he joined them. Zidane was the first to strike, delving into the fleshy underside of the beast with one blade, and aiming for a vine with the other. Screeching in pain at the sudden attack, the monster swung a branch and hit Zidane away; the boy flew backwards and landed with a thud between Vivi and Steiner, but was back on his feet again just a second later. When he saw the arm coming towards them again, a panic burned into Vivi. He let the feeling swell until his fingers tingled with the energy, and cast a ball of flame at the beast, causing it to reel, and shake in pain. Its petals trembled and it opened its mouth wide. Tiny yellow spores spat out towards the trio.

Zidane and Steiner got the full force of the spray, their eyes and noses stinging. A black fog seemed to cast over Zidane's eyes, like a mask, and though he tried to swing his daggers, he misjudged the attack, floundering to the side without hitting the beast at all. Steiner too was blinded, but when Vivi, aimed another firebolt at his sword, the man was ready. The light from the spell somehow negated the effects of the spores, allowing the knight to see. Keeping his aim true, Steiner plunged another attack into the overgrown root, and Vivi swiftly added yet more fire hoping to burn the thing away… but the fire died down again, and the plant monster was still standing, a little blacked here and there, but just as vicious.

"Phew, I made it just in time."

Zidane recognised the voice, and wondered if perhaps his ears had somehow been afflicted, but Vivi turned to see the boy scurrying through the entrance to join them. Blank, his red hair poignant even in the dim-light, and his sword rested against his shoulder. "Step aside. I'll take care of this." He took a moment to study his fellow thief, and handed the boy a small vile. There wasn't a moment's hesitation from Zidane, who doused the potion onto his eyes, and the haze that had blinded him faded. They smiled at each other; Blank ran forward and slashed at the plant, followed closely by Zidane. The monster gave a roar and flailed its tentacles, and then more spores started to fan out from the centre of its blossom. However, instead to gushing out towards the group, the sports started to shimmer, twisting about the stoma, before rising up to the ceiling of the cave. With another screech, the monster threw out it's limbs.

Blue tendrils of lightning lashed down from the cave top, dancing amid flashes of yellow and blue. Electricity rushed about them, clutching at their nerves and muscles, and then just as suddenly it stopped, leaving them dazed. Steiner, his body, cased as it was in metal plating, took the most damage, but the others shivered with the remnants of the thunder. Blank hurled a potion at Steiner, who was leaning on his knees; Zidane ran forward, tightly clutching his blades, tearing at the beast with a renewed vigour, still feeling the electricity twitching at his nerves. It threw its tentacles out again, this time hitting them all in a large sweep, trying to knock them back. Blank dug his sword in as well, drawing out a screech. Finally, the creature appeared to be weakening. Vivi wasted no time, casting fire to Steiner's magic sword. The man jumped forward, his blade ablaze, and landed the edge in one of the petals, ripping into the fragile appendage as he went, leaving a trail of fire. This time the flames didn't die so quickly. Before they could fade, Vivi blasted another fireball. It exploded up from the root, torn as it was by the thief's daggers. The flames continued upwards, joining with the burning petals and bursting outwards; the beast screamed again, and then fell backwards, its limbs becoming limp, its mouth agape.

In the wake of the victory, a strange silence came over the forest. Zidane sensed it immediately, like the withered old plant had been sending out a wave of noise not missed until it was gone, but there was little time to contemplate the matter. Steiner managed to wrangle Garnet down from the wall and bring her into the light. Her skin was clammy and pale, and her eyes gave a quick flutter, but she didn't wake. Seeing the movement of her eyelids Steiner lifted her head a little. "Princess! Please try to get a hold of yourself!" he said, his words edged with desperation. It was funny, actually. Steiner seemed to believe he had the ability to shout things into happening.

"Zidane, give her the stuff," Blank said. With a nod, Zidane trundled over the withering vines, near Garnet. For once, the old rust bucket didn't question him or insult him, but urgently raised her head so Garnet could drink Blank's potion. The contents slipped into her mouth, and instinct made her swallow it down with a couple of dry hacks.

"Princess," Rusty began, "please try to drink all of it."

"Is she gonna be okay?" Vivi asked, peering at Garnet, his bright eyes narrowed with worry. Before anyone could answer, the ground heaved beneath their feet. It was as though something had fallen away, leaving only the surface vines for support.

"Oh man!" groaned Blank. "What now?"

With another rumble, the heap where the plant boss had once stood gave way, falling onto a crevice. Blue gas hissed up from the opening, filling the chamber with an acrid stench. From the billowing cloud, shapes began to emerge. When the gas cleared, Zidane found himself staring at two more plant creatures, different from any they'd seen in the forest so far. They looked like a praying mantis had mated with a tulip; they had bug like bodies equipped with spiked femurs and pointed legs and a crest of red petals. For a moment the creatures stood, taking in their surroundings, before their eyes (or what passed for them) locked onto the small party of trespassers.

Zidane and Blank had both turned to survey the nearest exit, but another of the monsters was scurrying in from there too, and more shadows danced about behind it.

"Sheez!" exclaimed Blank, "we're gonna be surrounded!"

From the corner of his eye, Zidane could see the second break in the cave walls, further away, but unblocked. He kept his eyes trained on the mantis plants, but indicated the new escape route with a tilt of his head. "Let's get out of here!"

Blank, understanding the gesture immediately, didn't move; he noticed Vivi standing frozen, lost in an oncoming terror. "GO!" he yelled, which seemed enough to snap him out of it. Zidane and Steiner, with Garnet in his arms, were already running to the exit, but Vivi just watched them go, like he was declining an invitation for an afternoon picnic. "What are you waitin' for?" At last the kid moved, bolting to where Zidane stood waiting for them both. He hurried through the entrance.

The beasts were drawing closer now, towards Blank. He carefully sidestepped, darting his eyes between all three of them to catch any sudden moves, Zidane wildly gesturing with his hands for his brother to hurry up and refusing to leave otherwise. Once out of close range, Blank turned and fled, passing out of the cave with Zidane close behind him.

A steep mossy bank waited on the other side, with more vines leeching out. It was slimy underfoot, which didn't make the descent easy at a fast pace. Luckily, Steiner and Vivi had already staggered down, Blank managed the angle in a half run half slide, and Zidane followed suit. The beasts, unbothered by the greasy mosses, chased them down the hill. Zidane felt one close and swung back with his blades to deter a fight, before hurrying onwards. Further on, the land rose and fell at odd angles where the river had once cut into the land and then been trapped into pools. They came to a ridge where the turf fell away into a crevice. It took Zidane by surprise, and he had to prevent himself from tumbling down when his foot slid on a toadstool. A skeleton of some poor damned creature lay where it had fallen, trying to crawl between two closely grown trees down into the hollow. It was huge, its head still dangling down into the pool below where it had tried to drink. Had these creatures done that? Zidane didn't want to find out.

The group jumped down in stages, using a rock and the skeleton as landing points before splashing into the stagnant water below. One creature dove down, taking the ridge in one jump and landing at the same time as Zidane. As he was about to run, another monster careened in from a path to the side, and the two hustled in to corner the group.

As it turned out, taking the weeds down wasn't all that hard. A few slices to the legs and they fell; they had the lightning abilities, but nowhere near the power of their late master. It was the sheer number of them that was the problem. Zidane could hear them, clicking and scurrying through the trees all around and it set his teeth on edge. Everything seemed to be moving, like they'd triggered some kind of trap when the boss of the forest had died. Tailing the group, he stopped to listen in an area of clear path. That plant thing had connected everything somehow, sustained it even, and now it was gone…

Blank, who had hurried ahead along with the others, turned and raced back to his brother, taken aback by the sudden stop. "What are you doin'?"

"Something's wrong," Zidane explained, peering up at the layer of leaves above them. Even they were acting strangely, pulsing and shrinking.

"What?"

"The entire forest is coming after us."

With a determined face, Zidane turned to Blank. He'd gotten everyone into this mess; bought Garnet into danger, and Vivi and … well Steiner had himself to blame, at least, but Zidane had to get them all out now. With an uncharacteristically serious tone he said, "Blank… take care of everyone," and ran ahead. If something happened to him, Blank would get the other three, and himself, to safety, Zidane knew. Blank would protect them.

The red headed brother stared after Zidane with a furrowed brow. _What did he mean by that?_ he wondered.


	12. V1 Chapter 12 Petrified

Volume 1

Chapter 12

Petrified

They ran. The earth beneath their feet rumbled ceaselessly, trembling with the movement of thousands of mantis monsters chasing them down. They emerged from behind every tree in almost every direction, their flowers like a crimson sea rolling through the forest after them. A high pitched squeal erupted from their hideous bodies making it difficult not to just stop and throw hands over ears. Zidane kept his eyes forward; they'd found an old path, which meant even footing and more speed, and that they had to be close to the forest boarder. He wanted to call out, make sure everyone was still close behind, but every gulp of oxygen was needed to keep his muscles moving. Instead, he glanced backward; they were all still there, even Vivi was keeping pace, but then Zidane let his gaze slip to what was happening behind them.

The ocean of red caps didn't seem as long anymore, but the first few rows of beasts were still approaching, and the aisle they had run through hadn't emptied. A grey cast was leeching through the undergrowth, climbing the trees and snaking onto the creatures like a disease. The forest fell still as its colour was turned to greyscale; the monsters halted suddenly, becoming grotesque statues. More and more were overcome, and soon the grey was close enough for Zidane to see clearly. Stone! All of it! A wave of stone solidifying anything it touched. His eyes widened at the realisation. Petrification!

Zidane dropped his pace, falling back behind the team, counting them off as they passed. Steiner raced along with Garnet in tow, and Vivi, arms flailing in his panic, hurried along just behind. That left Blank matching his speed. The ear scratching squeal of the mantis plants was almost deafening; the monsters were right on their heels, snatching at them with their odd appendages. Most had already been taken, transformed into stone in the seconds it took for their bodies to be consumed. As Zidane turned, one closed the narrow gap between them; staggering about just behind them, towering over the thieves, its pincers opened and Zidane knew he was caught.

Just as they were beginning to close, Zidane felt himself being thrown to the side, barged out of reach by Blank. In the split second his brother had rammed him, the monster had closed its forearms, catching the boy around the midriff and lifting him in a tight grasp. It stopped moving then about to bring Blank to its mouth. He struggled against it, but couldn't free himself. Zidane skidded to a stop, spinning, watching as the creature dangled Blank, reaching out to him, ready to race back. Then he noticed it could no longer shift its feet. The wave had caught up with them. Zidane glared helplessly as the grey got closer and closer to Blank. When the arms petrified, Blank dug something out of his pocket, and as his body was touched by the stone, he gestured quickly to his brother and threw something towards him.

The scroll flew through the air, its red seal obvious against the forest hues. Hesitating only a second, Zidane moved his gaze to watch as it arched above him. Blank had put some power into the throw; Zidane took up his running, not letting his eyes leave the parchment as it tumbled down. It bounced once off the forest floor, where Zidane came level with it and caught it. He turned to salute his brother, raising his arm as he ran, but the boy had disappeared from view. It was just Zidane against this damned forest. All the creatures were gone, but even with the way out so close, close enough that Zidane could see it, the forest was refusing to let him leave.

In a last ditch effort to keep its prey, the vines of the trees came alive, breaking away from their branches and racing toward Zidane as he ran. Tick and spiked they flew out from every direction, crashing into the ground and into tree trunks to form thorny barricades. Zidane forced himself, forced his muscles to move faster, setting his teeth and barrelling towards freedom. The vines were fast, clamouring around him, twisting about each other, so the thief had to leap and duck. They careened down from above, creating sudden pillars in his path, forcing him to navigate new paths in mere seconds or else become entangled and trapped. Zidane could see an opening, the shimmer of moonlight just ahead. Keeping the scroll held tightly in his grip, he leapt over a vine aiming to trip him and hurtled himself forward.

The boy landed on his side with such force he rolled twice more before stopping. The landing had stunned his body, sending a shockwave through his muscles, but he pushed himself up, heaving air into his lungs. He was out. He'd made it. He heard the clank of metal as Rusty came up behind him, and turned to check that Vivi was present and accounted for as well, then focused his attention back to the forest. The exit was now blocked by the vines, their spines digging into the wood of two trees, a gateway forming as they packed themselves together tightly, pulsing momentarily before turning to stone, sealing the now dead woodland away.

And all Zidane could see, all he could feel, was that behind it somewhere was his brother, was Blank, frozen in stone like a memorial statue, his arms poised outward having thrown the scroll, clutched in the arms of a monstrous plant.

Anger overcame Zidane, the adrenaline still coursing through him. He hurried back to the opening, knocked his fist uselessly against the stone, willing it to break, but quickly gave up, lifting his arms in frustration, glaring at the sky. "Damn it!" he cried, at nothing and at everything, "that idiot!" Overcome by exhaustion, he shook his head, falling to his knees. Behind him, Vivi moved back, watching. Quietly Zidane whispered "Blank…"

Petrified.

(!)

They set up camp close by, beneath a sheaf of rock jutting out from the cliff-face. Nobody said much for a while; Zidane set up a small tent to house their weapons and supplies for the night, and Vivi used his magic to make a fire. Steiner just stood overlooking the princess. She lay in the glow of the campfire, the colour returning to her cheeks and her breathing easy. There wasn't really much else to do but wait until she woke up.

"I hope she gets well soon," Vivi commented.

"This is all his fault!" grumbled Steiner, waving a fist in Zidane's direction. The boy yawned stretching out his arms, scratched his leg, paying the knight no attention. "Have you nothing to say you filth?" Zidane really didn't have anything to say, he didn't have much energy , and he didn't want to waste what was left arguing with a self-centred moron. Before Steiner could continue his winging, Garnet stirred.

"…Oh…" she rubbed her eyes, slowly pushing herself up into a sitting position, and gazed blurry eyed and confused at her new surroundings.

"P-Princess!" Steiner stammered, with delight, so loudly his voice echoed against the stone walls and trees.

Relieved, Vivi gave a small leap of joy, but Zidane didn't turn, just stared down at the tent; Vivi walked over to him, catching the thief's gaze. He really did look tired. Maybe he hadn't slept since they'd crashed; he wasn't sure how long they'd been in the forest, maybe a day or so. The young mage gave his friend a reassuring nod, and was glad when he saw Zidane smile back. They headed back over to the where Garnet was resting.

"Steiner…? How did I survive?" she said, her voice still faint. "You brought me here?"

"It is my sworn duty to protect you at any cost," by now, Steiner was kneeling before her, his voice fringed with false modesty.

"What are you talking about?" Zidane snapped, opening his arms wide in frustration. "It was Vivi's magic and my dagger that got you out of there Princess," and Blank too, though he couldn't bring himself to mention it. Garnet nodded.

"I thank you both."

Steiner rose to his feet. "That monkey deserves no praise!" He shook his fist again, Zidane frowned at him, his tail swinging with his annoyance. "None of this would've happened if you and your band hadn't abducted the princess!" Vivi glanced between the two men, unsure of what to say. "And how dare you claim that you have rescued her? When I get back to Alexandria, I will-"

"Steiner," Garnet interrupted. Remembering himself, Steiner lowered his arm and knelt back down. The princess lowered her head so as not to catch his gaze, and continued, "I left the castle of my own will." Steiner's expression was priceless.

"What a coincidence, eh?" Zidane began, folding his arms. "We went to snatch her and she wanted to be snatched."

"It's true," Garnet said, simply.

"So, what do you say, Rusty? Friends?" Zidane asked. His voice was back to its usual brightness. "Come on, let's just enjoy this camping trip while it lasts."

Steiner was back on his feet, cutting at Zidane's suggestion with a sharp swing of his arm. "Camping - you imbecile! Surely even you must know something about the Mist. The vicious monsters it spawns! The abnormalities it stirs in the mind and body!" he turned to Garnet with pleading eyes, "Princess, we must leave this dangerous place at once."

"You've gotta be kidding," Zidane replied, throwing his arms down in disbelief, "She hasn't even fully recovered yet."

"Silence! Who asked for your opinion!?"

"Alright, tell me... How do you plan to get out of here?" but Zidane didn't give him a chance to answer. He walked away from the fire, gesturing to the landscape. "We're standing in a valley surrounded by tall cliffs. And last I heard, North Gate and South Gate were sealed off."

"..."  
>"Yeah. That's what I thought."<p>

Steiner began to rumble like a shoddy engine part. "Grrrrr..."

"The princess can barely walk right now. You went through this. You should know," Zidane continued. He kept his voice calm and reasonable. "I think we should rest here for now."

"I will never follow - "

"Steiner!" Zidane shouted, taking on the tone of a ranking officer, someone the Rusty idiot might actually listen to and respect. "State your sworn duty!"

His answer came out automatically; it was so ingrained in him, he even saluted. "What else? To protect Princess Garnet Til Alexandros!" he stopped, hesitated, then sighed "...Very well. Until the princess recovers, I will guard this place with my life."

"Sounds good to me," Zidane replied. At least he'd get some sleep, let Steiner be the one up all night on guard, he sure seemed to have the energy for it. The man strode out from underneath the rock, taking stance in front of the tent, facing the wilds beyond. Meanwhile, Zidane turned his attention to the mage, who he realised hadn't spoken in some time. "Vivi, let's get some rest."

They edged closer to the campfire, letting the chills of the night air fade, then tilted their heads back, and slept.

(!)

Garnet found Zidane standing at the stone wall now blocking the entrance to Evil Forest. She couldn't believe so much had happened, and that she had slept through all of it. Sensing her presence, Zidane turned, his usual smile spread across his face.

"How're you feeling?" he asked.

"Good," she replied. "…Thanks to that medicine you gave me." She looked around at the grey trees, the solid leaves motionless even in the wind. "Could this be…?" Zidane turned back to face the wall.

"Yeah, I was surprised, too. After we beat that big plant-guy, the forest got completely petrified."

Unsure how else to broach the subject, Garnet continued hesitantly, "Vivi told me we were able to escape because of your friend."

"His name is Blank," he said, his words quiet but firm.

"We must go help him,"

"We can't do anything for him right now," Zidane replied.

"But...I can't - "

"We'll come back for him," Zidane assured her, turning around again. Of course, Garnet thought then, Zidane had probably already considered rescuing the thief now. Wouldn't she if someone she cared about were trapped like that? But he was right. It would take much more than a few softs to cut through all that stone, besides which, they didn't have any anyway. As though reading her thoughts, Zidane continued. "I'm sure there's a way to cure him." He gave a confidant nod. "Let's get going. According to the map that Blank gave me, there's a cavern to the south of us. Maybe we can get above the Mist through that cavern."

The Princess pondered how he could sound so optimistic given everything that had happened so far; she was less certain. It had all gone so drastically wrong. She clutched her hands together against her stomach, feeling ashamed of herself for causing such a mess. Zidane walked over to her, concerned.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She turned, giving a firm nod, but not speaking. Zidane smiled at her, patting his chest twice with his thumb. "Everything's gonna be fine. Trust me."

(!)

They returned to Vivi, near the smoky remains of their campfire. Steiner, the useless moronic rust bucket that he was, had fallen asleep at his post. Daylight wasn't really any clearer than the middle of the night, the sun just bounced off the mist illuminating it. They'd have to leave soon to make the most of the light. Zidane had just finished explaining the plan to Vivi, when the boy started.

"Look! There's something coming!" he stammered, panicked, but when Zidane looked, he found a moogle gliding towards them. The one from the Prima Vista crash site? Monty or something?

"Wait! Kupo!" it shouted. It landed and clumsily hurried over. "I'm impressed, kupo! First time I've seen anyone escape from Evil Forest. You all must be strong, kupo! But don't get cocky, kupo. Lots of stronger monsters ahead. I have a gift for you, kupo. Take this flute." The moogle pulled a small, reed like instrument from its chest fur, and handed it to Zidane, who knelt down to receive it. He'd heard of these things before, and he knew they weren't all that easy to come by. The moogle went on to explain "With this flute, you can call us anywhere in the world, kupo." Zidane had heard that too; moogles would happily jot down your location at a given time, just in case you later got stuck or killed. It was actually useful if you knew you were about to head into danger and wanted someone to be able to drag you out to try again. With the flute, Zidane supposed they would be able to do so while travelling. "Press the Square Button to play it," the moogle instructed, pointing out a small square nodule on the bottom of the flute. That was handy. "Happy trails! Kupo!"

"Thank you," Garnet said.

"Kupopo!"

"Bye," Vivi said.

Garnet started away from the campsite. Zidane crossed over to where the knight still stood, his head bobbing where he stood as he slept. With a tight fist, Zidane smacked the man hard on the shoulder, feeling his armour rattle about as Steiner jerked awake, and then moving off after Garnet, closely followed by Vivi.

Steiner stood momentarily bewildered. He blinked in the early light, bringing the distant shapes into focus. "What the…? Who goes there!" When he turned to look, the princess and the other two were no longer resting near a fire. The flames were out in fact, only a moogle stood there, patiently watching him.

"Your friends already left, kupo," it explained.

Panicked, Steiner twirled on his heels, spotting the trio a little ways off. "Princess, wait!" he yelled, running to catch them before the mist could swallow their shapes entirely.


	13. V1 Chapter 13 Ice Cavern

**Volume 1 **

**Chapter 13 **

**Ice Cavern**

According to Blank's map, the Ice Cavern wasn't too far from the forest, but the Mist was hanging low, making navigation a nightmare of no visible landmarks. The only safe marker for their whereabouts was the Ceebell River, and that wasn't close to the cave. It was, however, a key mark for finding North Gate. The map showed that the gate and the cavern actually occupied the same extended area of cliff side. If they could get to North Gate, they could simply follow the rock round to the Ice Cavern and have done with it. Zidane figured it was better safe than sorry. Better to take a detour than wander the valley for days in the hopes of stumbling upon their destination. And who knew? Maybe luck would be with them, and North Gate would be open.

North Gate wasn't open. It fact it looked abandoned, on the Alexandrian side at least. The troupe strolled up to the gate itself, a large arched fortress, built between two rock faces. It had a metal barrier rising from above the doors like an elaborate, dangerous crown, and a red flag fluttering either side. A winged gargoyle stared out from above the doors, its wings extending down to form an arch around the entrance.

"Where are we?" Garnet asked, glancing around.

"I think this is the North Gate," Zidane said. Maybe he'd misinterpreted the map. He hadn't expected to find the place deserted; there were no solders or guards or anything. Wouldn't North Gate require constant observation? "It's beneath the Mist. It lies between Alexandria and Burmecia." He placed his hand on his chin thoughtfully and continued, "I think it's called…. Melda Arch, or something?" Surveying the scene closely, Zidane took a quick breath. "Fresh footprints… And there's smoke rising" Turrets of it rose up from behind the wall.

Suddenly, Rusty hurried forward, his eyes wide. "That Flag…!" he began, urgently, "That is Alexandria's war banner!" He gave a mighty jump, his armour clattering uncomfortably. "How dare they commit crimes in the name of Alexandria! I should like to arrest and punish them if the circumstances were different!" And he stood there, shaking his fists at the gate, like this action might bring the whole fort tumbling down. Garnet looked as though she wanted to say something, but remained silent, her face troubled.

"Let's get outta here." Zidane suggested. Garnet and Vivi turned to listen, but Steiner just continued gesticulating at the gate. "The cavern lies to the left of this arch. We'll follow the ledge!"

Before leaving, Zidane decided to take a better look around; he let the others head on a little ways and then started to investigate. Two chests were waiting behind a broken fence post; they'd probably built the fence to stop people climbing the rocks, but given the signs of war, Zidane supposed nobody had worried about the maintenance recently. He pocketed the potion and the eye drops he found inside the chests and went to take a better glance at the gate itself. Placing his ear against the doors, Zidane listened closely.

_I can hear people… and something that sounds like metal grinding. Maybe I can call out to someone inside. _

So Zidane ventured a go with "Anybody there?"

"Y-yes?" came a hesitant reply.

Zidane leaned back, wondering if he'd heard right. "T-that voice," he stammered to himself, before realising whoever it was might hear him. _It's a chick! What a sexy, husky voice! _Without thinking, Zidane prepared himself for the flirting ahead, twisting his upper body left and then right… but of course she couldn't see him. At the moment anyway. "What are you doing in a place like this?" he asked, keeping his own voice smooth and confidant. It was a little strange to have a woman sitting alone at a border crossing point, especially when it seemed chaos was happening just beyond.

"…I sell medicine."

"Wow… it must be tough," Zidane sympathised. "If you like, I can help…" but once he'd said it, his thoughts kicked in. _Wait a minute… I'm with Princess Garnet! _He couldn't just go running off on her now. _That's too bad._ Given the situation he figured the least he could do was buy some medicine from her. He hated the idea of leaving a girl abandoned, but there didn't seem much else he could do. "Do you mind selling me some of your medicine?"

Her voice perked up from behind the door. "… Sure. How many potions (50 Gil each) do you want?"

Zidane thought about it. They still had a long walk ahead, as well as the cavern to contend with, and even with Garnet's white magic, it was sensible to stock up while he had the chance… but then there was also the limited money to consider. The beasts around those parts didn't exactly offer much. He decided on 10.

The girl didn't acknowledge the purchase; she remained silent, using a hatch in the door to pass the goods over and take the money, and shutting it again the moment the exchange was over. He sighed, taking one last look at the rising smoke, and then ran to re-join his cohorts.

(!)

Zidane walked towards the crevice. "This must be the cavern". It rested between a natural fissure in the rock, and they'd only found it because of the tides of Mist billowing out. The stone above jutted between patches of ice, which had forced their way through the stone, pushing it apart to make room. The whole area swirled with frozen Mist, which spilled from the crevices like an engine leak. Garnet, Vivi and Steiner arrived behind him, taking a moment to crane their necks and stare at the glistening, blue hue of the ice. Vivi approached Zidane and hesitantly stammered "U-um…"

"What's up Vivi?" Zidane encouraged.

"Have you ever heard of the Ice Cavern?" the kid said, timidly.

"Sure," Zidane replied, "Is this the place?"

"I think so… It's supposed to be near Evil Forest."

"I've heard of it," Garnet said. "It's supposed to be a beautiful place, covered in ice."

"My grandpa told me about this place," Vivi explained. "He said the cavern takes travellers to the top of the Mist."

"Bravo!" Steiner cheered, "Master Vivi's grandfather must be quite the scholar! We must thank him upon escaping the Mist!"

In response, the mage lowered his head, bringing his hands together at his chest. "My grandpa used to teach me lots of things, but he passed away…"

"Oh… forgive my indiscretion," the knight bowed his head a little as he spoke, but Vivi merely shook his head.

"Don't worry about it."

"Well, why don't we go inside?" Zidane suggested; he indicated to the cave with a thumb over his shoulder. He hadn't expected things to get quite so deep so suddenly, and he was eager to get them to higher ground.

As they entered the cavern, there was a swift drop in temperature. The name wasn't an exaggeration. Everything, the floors, the walls, the roof, was covered in a glimmering sheet of ice. It appeared as though a rush of water had frozen over, leaving twisting, raising pathways, rimmed with icicles. Amazingly, the cold hadn't stopped plants from taking residence inside. Pink and blue blossoms rested happily in every available crevice, their petals frosty at the tips. There was even an old chest abandoned on a ledge. Garnet rushed forward, her eyes wide with wonder as she tried to take it all in.

"Oh… What a beautiful place!" As Zidane strode in behind her, she continued, "Seeing the actual cavern is so much better than reading about it." The princess bent down beside a huge blue blossom, nestled between the crisscrossing walkways. "Oh, how pretty… I wonder what kind of flower this is." Zidane couldn't help smiling as he watched her, her eyes bright with curiosity… but then her knight came flouncing in after her.

"Princess! Please, don't touch anything!"

"Can we get moving? I'm freezin' here!" Zidane said; none of them were attired for this kind of environment, least of all him.

Before moving ahead, Zidane checked the contents of the chest. Someone had stowed a tent inside, and obviously hadn't had the opportunity to come back and use it. The sooner they reached the top, the better.

Further on, the cavern became more unsettled. The flooring was staggered, creating uneven steps and levels. The unnatural walkways wound off in all directions, sweeping under and over each other, and abruptly ending at pools of low lying Mist. The Mist itself wasn't content to sit still. Small streams gushed over certain pathways like fountains, starting and stopping randomly; Zidane thought it best to just avoid them.

A short way into the cavern, they found themselves ascending a set of rocks to a dead end. The sheet of ice blocking the path was so perfectly frozen, it was almost clear. If Zidane got close enough he could just about see through it. A small dark shape, distorted by the odd angles of the ice, sat behind it. "Huh? What's this…?" The others were waiting for him at the bottom of the rocks. "What a strange wall…There's gotta be something behind it". He banged on the ice with his fist, hoping it was thin enough to simply break through, but it held strong, the knocks echoing through the cavern. "Hey Vivi!"

"Y-yes," he stammered, the word was visible as vapour on the air.

Zidane waved him over, "can you break this wall down with your magic?"

The boy gave a solid nod. "I…I'm coming." He made his way up, quicker than Zidane expected, and unleashed his fire the moment he reached the wall. Heat permeated the frosty air as flame broke through the wall, instantly melting the ice.

"Whoa!" Zidane exclaimed, happily. It had looked effortless. Vivi had revealed a small cove, beneath a shelter of icicles. Inside sat another abandoned chest, frosted, but intact. "I knew it! See?" Zidane tilted his head, thoughtfully. "There might be other walls like this…" he said, smiling. He turned to the mage, "I'm counting on you, Vivi,"

"S-sure."

Inside the chest, Zidane discovered an Ether. He didn't have much need of one himself, but it would come in handy if Garnet needed replenishing after healing the party, or Vivi, if the icy treasure troves became a frequent occurrence. He pocketed the item, storing it with his collection of potions, and they moved on.

The cavern turned out to be much deeper than anticipated. The path became more perilous as it steadily took them higher, the cave floor having dropped away where frozen water didn't hold the stone together. A wrong step spelt a long drop, and it wasn't easy keeping good footing at a quick pace, so the going was slow. The walkway was unpredictable and constantly changed; in one area it would be formed of many circular rocks, and in others it sloped, spilling out in varied shapes. Above the ceiling glistened with icicles, reflecting what little light there was, creating a blue hue to guide them.

Every so often a group of flans, a creature that looked like a possessed pudding, would surprise them; at worst they were accompanied by cave imps, who were dressed more appropriately for the conditions of the cavern than the party were. Cave imps wore fur hats so low it covered their eyes, so only their mouths were visible, showing pointed teeth and lolling tongues. They carried a dagger in one hand, and an open bottle of sleeping juice in the other, and would take great delight in dousing the team with spurts of the yellow liquid. Fortunately, they had Vivi, whose fire magic took down most opponents quickly. He helped uncover a few more walls, leading to chests containing an elixir and a leather wrist, but the boy was growing low on MP, he became slower and less energised with every spell. And Garnet and Steiner had also taken their fair share of hits.

They came to a point where the path bent into a D shape, forming a longer route to the left, or a direct path straight ahead. A stream of icy mist spewed out before them on the quicker track, but they had navigated past so many it seemed simple enough to wait for it to pass. A safer route meant staying longer in the icy hell. However, in his eagerness, Zidane stepped forward a second too soon. A bitter chill went through his leg where it landed in the breeze, and the cave rumbled. Two bulky monsters appeared before them, their bodies coated in a dull grey fur, and tusks protruded from their months, so long they curled up over their heads. They had shallow, pinkish eyes which darted back and forth like the cold had driven the beasts to madness. They spoke.

"The wind lays out my path" one said

"Get out of my way" added the other. Their voices were thick and slurred, barely discernible as more than articulated grunts.

Zidane struck out with his daggers, but as with most monsters in this forsaken cavern, his blades barely rendered a reaction. The beast gave an odd wobble, but was otherwise un-phased. It retaliated quickly, charging him with its tusks and knocking him down. Zidane was winded, but staggered up, and thankfully Garnet stepped forward, her magic spreading over him, wiping the painful slap away. Vivi lavished Steiner's sword with a fringe of fire, and between their attacks both monsters fell.

Up ahead the road forked into two paths. The right trail appeared considerably more traitorous than the left. Glacial winds billowed in, wafting mist and ice towards them. Having just dealt with the wyerd monsters, Zidane decided to air on the side of caution and take the left trail. It led to a dead end, a calm and beautiful dead end, but a dead end none the less. It was another area of flowers, which they hadn't seen since venturing past the first couple sections of the cavern. At the back of the circular cave was a plinth, created, Zidane guessed, from a frozen wellspring. On top was a ball of ice, inside which was an obscured pink shape. "Huh? What's this…?" Zidane asked.

Knowing his cue, Vivi stepped up to the plinth. He focused his magic on the ice ball, quickly eroding the shell with fire to reveal the secret inside. "Hot! Hot! Hot!" cried a voice. A moogle sprung up from the ice, its pom pom flailing wildly in its shock. It landed on the plinth again and took a few quick breaths, before promptly yelling "You bastards!" at them and vigorously shaking its head. Then, with a gleeful squeak, it flapped its wings and flipped. "Oh, I can move again," it said, "Thanks, Kupo" and it gave them a bow. Then it asked Zidane if he would carry a letter to another Moogle named Gumo.

It seemed they had no choice but to return and take the alternate branch. The mist was dense and billowing here. Thick ice columns lined the left hand wall, while a trench ran down the right. With every step it got colder; Zidane could feel it seeping through his skin, freezing him down to the blood. He hunched his arms in close to his body, trying to fight the wind as it whipped through the tunnel. They had to be close now. Zidane stopped and turned to check on the others; Steiner bustled along like a china figurine, walking without moving his knees, his arms straight by his sides, Garnet hugged herself tightly around the midriff, and Vivi was trailing a little ways back.

"Vivi, hurry up, or you'll be left behind!" Zidane called to him, his voice was shaking with the cold.

"I-I'm coming" His teeth chattered uncomfortably, as he dawdled over.

Zidane waited for him to catch up before continuing, but Vivi began to fall behind again. His eyes were down, and he began veering off course towards the edge where the path gave way to the trench. "Oh no!" Garnet called, suddenly, alerting the other two to what was happening. Vivi reached the brink and stopped, his foot suspended over the breach, but instead of pulling back, he stumbled forward and toppled over. His body spun three times as he fell, and he landed with an audible thud on the ice below.

"Master Vivi!" Steiner called, waddling over. "Are you okay?" When he reached the edge, he peered down at the boy below. As he turned, he overbalanced, one of his ridiculous plated shoes skidding backwards, pitching him down and over. He fell head first, crashing so hard the cave shook. Sighing, Zidane made his way over to his two fallen comrades.

"Yo Rusty! You're…" he reached the side and peered down"…not alright, are you?" They were both lying rigid, neither so much as groaning. "What happened to you guys?" Sure they'd fallen, but it wasn't a big enough drop to knock them out. Zidane leapt down to where they lay. "Hey Rusty!" He gave the man a hard kick to the thigh, the metal clanking under the force of his boot. "Move it or lose it!" but Steiner didn't as much as twitch. "Get up!" Zidane swung his leg back and gave another kick to Steiner's leg. The clang echoed, but again, Rusty remained still. "It's no use."

By now Garnet was watching from the top; she was pale and her eyelids drooped. Zidane found an area where the side of the rock jutted out, producing a makeshift ladder back to the pathway. As he walked over to climb, Garnet disappeared from view, and when he reached the top he found her lying down on her side, unconscious, just like the others. "Oh no! Garnet! Not you too?" He made his way to her as fast as he could manage with his muscles half frozen; she lay, her breathing shallow, her eyes lightly closed. "Garnet?" No reply. "She's out cold".

Just looking at Garnet, Zidane felt heavy, like each bone in his body, and his blood and his muscles had finally frozen, and he was so tired. His thoughts collapsed before they could form, and he was fighting the urge to just drop down.

"Shoot…." He was already on his knees, his eyes closing against his will. "I'm falling asleep…"


	14. V1 Chapter 14 Dagger

**Volume 1**

**Chapter 14 **

**Dagger **

A bell. One clear chime in the darkness. "What's that sound…?" Zidane opened his eyes, barely able to feel his body. He didn't know how long he'd slept; minutes, hours, longer? The freezing wind continued to billow through the tunnel, and Garnet was still unconscious close by. Had he really heard a bell? Summoning his strength, Zidane pulled himself off the ice; everything felt heavy, but he forced his muscles into motion, while his mind still battled the urge to sleep. He turned to the far end of the tunnel, from which the gale surged. "It came from over there…" he said to himself, his words slow and shivering. "Is somebody there…?" but his call was barely audible even to him. Keeping his arms tucked close to his chest, Zidane made his way to the end of the tunnel, but the fastest he could manage was walking.

Just beyond, the tunnel opened up into a bright hollow with tall walls. A frozen waterfall stood like a monument, the lashings of iced water forming curled crystals towards the base, where there would have been a pool. The mist wafted down from above, from a series of ledges ascending the cave wall, but Zidane couldn't make out solid details.

"Why didn't you fall asleep?"

Forgetting the cold, Zidane jumped into a fighting stance, his hands hovering over the hilts of his daggers. The voice had echoed down from overhead, where a dark shape rested on the lowest ledge.

"You should be dead by now…" The words came out sharp and low, as cold and cutting as the ice around them.

"Are you the one causing this blizzard?" Zidane called up.

The creature landed before him. It was tall, but hunched over itself, with large blue wings sticking out at right angles from its back, and a face similar to Vivi's, only older and with sinister slits for eyes. It even wore a pointed hat and patched up coat, and in its right hand it carried a large gold bell. It flapped its wings once and laughed. "Hee-hee-hee… That's right!"

Zidane realised the wind had travelled with the creature, was emanating from its body in every direction

It raised its bell towards the thief, and let out one clear ring, then it to the open spread of ice beside it and rang the bell again over the palm of its free hand. "Ice Giant! Sealion…" it boomed, bringing the bell out in a whipping motion, "come before me!" It let one chime fill the space and then stepped back.

A cone of ice broke up from the ground, quickly surrounded by more splinters, until it towered over them both, reaching to fill half the cave. When it had extended to its maximum height, it shattered, sending shards scattering outwards, revealing a massive serpentine beast. It thrashed around, two long tails swaying behind it, and two wing like arms fluttering at its sides. Its body was coated in huge scales shining like plate mail, apart from on its face which appeared to be covered in a stone mask, from which two tusks hung down, and two red slits acted as eyes. On its chest, a glowing ball of blue light shone, guarded by a set of stone ribs.

"Go sealion!" The mage shouted, gleefully.

Zidane whipped out his daggers, sizing up his opponents. The beast threw his concentration by bashing him with a wing, and its master took the opportunity to release a fire spell, sending out a wave of flame with another ring of his bell. The heat was unbearable, momentarily searing Zidane's frozen skin, but it actually kicked his senses back into gear. He shook off the attacks, lunging forward to lay his blade into the monster. The sealion flinched back, and Zidane spotted a mythril dagger embedded beneath one of its scales. Beside it, the mage laughed, and turned to its creature. A familiar green glow encircled it, and the cut that Zidane had just dug into the beast, sealed shut.

So, he had to take out the master first? Got it!

But the reality of the fight hit Zidane. He was up against two enemies, alone. Without Vivi's magic, his attacks would have to be precise and deadly, and without Garnet, he would have to rely on his potion stock to stay alive. Another wing bashed him backwards, but he kept his footing, rushing forward to deliver a blow to the mage. It didn't bother healing itself, instead retaliating with a blizzard spell, catching Zidane momentarily in frost. Not seconds later, the sealion mimicked him, leaving Zidane panting. He quickly downed a potion to rejuvenate himself.

Zidane's attacks just weren't enough. Even after several more hits, the master was still standing, sending out fire and ice, one after another, while its pet swung at him repeatedly. Whenever he felt tired or too much pain, Zidane used up another potion, but they were quickly depleting. He kept laying into the mage with all the power he had, but it wasn't working, and it was starting to tick him off. This creep had put his friends to sleep, was slowly draining them of strength with a blizzard. Anger boiled deep inside him, breaking through the cold, and when Zidane rushed in again, he felt the power surging through his arms. As the daggers sliced through him, the mage crumbled.

"Uh…!" it moaned, landing face down on the ice. "Sealion, kill him for me!" And the thing just disappeared, leaving Zidane alone to face its pet!

One on one! At last, a fair fight! If you didn't count size and magic ability, but Zidane rarely did. Initially, the beast kept up with its usual trick, but alone the blizzard attacks were less intense, and Zidane fought through them, landing effective blows from every angle. And then its ball turned an eye searing shade of yellow, and it upped its game.

The freezing attacks doubled in strength. A star of ice grew out from Zidane's centre, rendering him paralyzed for a moment, while the savage frozen ornament shattered, its remains pelting him. He expected to feel Garnet's soothing magic, but of course he didn't. She was still back in the tunnel, sleeping, freezing to death. Images of his team flashed through his mind as he took hit after hit. Exhausted, he hunched over, taking another potion, now in desperately low supply. His anger was starting to build up again, and he grabbed onto it, using fury to push away fatigue.

The sealion kept up its barrage of icy attacks, dispersing regular wing punches for good measure. Every part of Zidane was bruised or bloody, but he let the pain fuel him, remembering Vivi and Garnet, and hell, even Rusty.

And then the monster's magic sphere turned crimson, and Zidane knew it was about to get worse.

Sure enough, the sealion began flapping its arms and curling back over itself. Zidane's eyes widened as he watched a wall of water rise up from behind the beast, foam bubbling at the crest of the wave. He hankered down, preparing for the hit. It flowed down over him, a current of needles cutting into his flesh, sucking away what remained of his warmth. Numb and drenched, Zidane staggered back into fighting stance, and smiled. That hit was everything he had needed. His body was shivering not only with cold, but with power. A tingling sensation branched out from his core, his fury taking over. The pink glow pushed through his skin and clothes, revealing his raw form bathed in light, and inside he felt the familiar strength, the power that could save his friends.

Trance.

There was something different about it now, a new facet to the energy he gained, twisting in the back of his mind. It conjured itself into existence without any involvement from Zidane, almost using him as a vessel in which to come alive. He knew what to do without even thinking. A new Dyne attack. Tidal Flame.

Rising his dagger into the air, Zidane released the energy raging inside of him. It formed a semi-circle in front of the sealion, creaking the ice. A force, orange and unflinching, pushed up and closed in on the monster, overwhelming it with a wave of heat, which passed through its body like it were paper. The sealion flailed in pain for a moment before collapsing, the power of the attack still ripping through its body, quickly turning it to dust, leaving Zidane the victor. He flipped in his triumph as the remainder of his anger, and his strength, left him.

With the monsters gone, the temperature rose dramatically; without the wind the freezing edge dissipated leaving only a comfortable chill. The column of ice against the back of the cave thawed instantaneously becoming a gentle waterfall once again, with a rippling pool of clear water at the bottom. And there, at the top of the cave, a short winding walk away, was the exit.

"You defeated No.1, but No.2 and No.3 will reclaim the Princess" The words drifted calmly on the air; the acoustics made it sound like two voices speaking at once.

"Wh-Who's there?" Zidane looked around, but couldn't locate the speaker. He crossed his arms, muttering "oh, whatever…" before his brain kicked back into place. Garnet, Vivi, Rusty! "I've gotta go back and check on them!"

From the highest ledge, two jesters watched as the tailed thief rushed away.

(!)

Garnet lifted herself off the ground, sensation returning to her numbed extremities. The wind was gone, the mist subdued, and everything appeared slightly brighter than before she'd slept. When had she fallen asleep? She dusted a clump of frost from her knee, noticing both Vivi and Steiner had woken also, and were stretching and brushing off. The crunch of ice alerted her to someone walking quickly towards them.

"Zidane!" she called, moving away from the ledge to greet him. Vivi ascended the rocks, followed enthusiastically by Steiner, but Garnet kept her eyes on the thief. The poor boy looked a little worse for wear, his clothes frosted and his hair messed, but he smiled when he saw her.

"Hey there," he said, "Everybody okay?"

Before the princess could answer, Steiner strode over, placing himself between them. He raised an angry hand at Zidane. "You! What just happened?"

"It was no big deal," Zidane replied, shrugging. It didn't look like nothing, Garnet had to admit, but she declined to say anything.

"You're hiding something!" Steiner continued, leaping in the air in his impatience.

"Hey, nothing happened," Zidane retorted, a steely edge to his usual calm tones. "You heard me."

"You…" Steiner hesitated, carefully considering the rest of his sentence, "didn't touch the princess, did you?"

Zidane's face fell into a scowl. "Just what are you accusing me of?" Garnet felt her cheeks burn, suddenly

"Steiner, he said nothing happened," she interjected, "why are you being so rude?"

The knight was instantly rebuked, lowering his head, and softening his voice. "… My apologies, Princess."

Zidane did nothing to hide his smirk. Garnet continued. "Well, I'm glad everyone is safe. Shall we move on?" Suddenly, Zidane turned his back on them, folding his arms and bringing a hand to his chin, thoughtfully. He stood there a moment, quietly, and Garnet could only guess at what he was thinking. "Zidane?" she said, carefully. "Is something bothering you?"

When he spun back around, his reassuring smile was back. "No…" he said, "it's nothing."

(!)

Garnet walked out into the daylight, and took in a deep breath of warm air. Outside the cavern, the world was bright and clear, and, thankfully, free of Mist. White mountain peaks surrounded the lush Nolrich Heights below; Garnet clutched her hands over her chest, taking it all in.

"We made it through the Mist!" she announced, happily. Behind her Vivi jumped for joy. "Oh, the sun feels great!"

"Look there's a village," Zidane said, pointing into the distance. A little ways off, close to the plateau's precipice, was a cluster of domed buildings. The thief brought a hand to his chin, "I think I've been there before".

"It sounds like you've been everywhere, Zidane," Garnet commented. "The only other world's I've visited are in books". She turned to him. "You may have been to that village. Let's go visit."

Eager, the princess started down the winding slope leading down to the plateau. It was wonderful to have firm land beneath her feet again. She had only gone a few steps when Zidane stopped her. "Wait. Hold it." She turned back to face him, and he continued, "You're a princess. You can't just go rushing in there." He returned to his contemplative pose. "People are looking for you. You need a new identity."

Steiner strode over, determined, his face scrunched up in disgust. "Insolent fool!" He gave Zidane a hard shove in the chest, catching the boy off guard, sending him nearly toppling over the edge of the passage. One of his bladed weapons came loose, and clattered down across the rock, skidding to a stop near Garnet's feet. "The princess need not sneak around!" Zidane flailed his arms, rebalancing himself, shooting the knight an angry scowl; he jumped into an attack form. Garnet couldn't take her eyes off the weapon at her feet; she'd never actually seen one so close before. The blade reflected the sunlight in a way the princess found mesmerising, beautiful even, and yet she had seen how deadly it could be when Zidane wielded it. Such a curious thing.

Steiner continued his outburst, "Besides, we are heading back to the castle. You leave her alone!" He waved his hands, accusingly. "And you will address her as 'Princess' from now on, you silly peasant!"

"Dammit, Rusty! Why don't you just shut up?" Zidane spat, leaning right into the knight's face. "Who do you think you are? I don't take orders from a stuck-up jerk like you!"

"You guys!" Vivi said, his voice more fierce than Garnet would have believed possible. She had to echo the sentiment.

"Stop it, you two," she scolded, coming towards them. Both men became quiet, looking at her. "… Steiner, I do not intend to return to the castle. And I do see Zidane's point, I need a new name…" her eyes fell back to the blade in her hand, she held it out to the thief. "Zidane, what is this called?"

"That? That's a dagger," he explained, nonchalantly. Garnet regarded the weapon again, pondering the title in her mind, turning the blade over to view it from both angles. "All knives of that length are called daggers. Short swords are bit longer. The big sword you hold with both hands is called a broadsword. And…"

"Oh, okay… I understand now," Garnet interrupted. Zidane slumped forwards, hanging his head and arms low in disappointment, but the princess really didn't need to hear anymore. "So, this is called a 'dagger'," she said, mostly to herself, turning her back on the others, and lifting the blade once more.

"Princess! It's a weapon! Please, be careful."

"I've decided," Garnet said, spinning on her heal to face them again. "From now on, my name is Dagger."

Her guardian looked horrified, but for once, didn't deign to voice his obvious opinion; Zidane smiled at the notion. Perhaps he didn't think she was serious? It probably wasn't a common name, but it seemed to fit so ideally. It was unique, but not distractingly so, and the word had an adventurous ring to it that she found pleasant, like a character from a Lord Avon play. Besides, no one would suspect a member of royalty would take the name of a bandit's knife.

"I will be called Dagger from now on," she reiterated. "What do you think Zidane?"

"Is that okay with you?" he said. In truth, he thought it a little crude for such a pretty girl, but it was important she was happy with it.

"Yes."

"Great, Dagger," he replied, rolling the name around on his tongue. He liked the way it sounded on his lips, and smiled at her. "Now, let's work on your speech… Try to sound more casual. Like me!"

"I shall try," Dagger ventured.

"No, no, no…" _What would Vivi say? _he thought, glancing at the mage, recalling their conversations for inspiration. In return, Vivi gave him a questioning look. "Just say… 'Alrighty'."

"A-Alrighty!" Dagger repeated, but the word came out stiff and unsure.

"You're getting the hang of it!" Zidane encouraged, with a nod. "Well, let's go."

Dagger nodded her agreement, and the four silently made their way down the track to the village across the plains. 


	15. V1 Chapter 15 Dagger Tries and Vivi Conf

**Volume 1**

**Chapter 15 **

**Dagger Tries and Vivi Confused**

The village of Dali looked exactly as Zidane remembered it, tiny and quiet, just a cluster of round stone buildings on either side of a single road. It was nearing sunset when they arrived, but the sky was still blue, bringing out the village's lush green foliage. Vivi raced forwards, his eyes locking onto a building further down the walkway. "Gee Whizz! A windmill!" he squeaked

"Vivi," Zidane called, "the inn is this way!"

"Aw, do we have to?" The mage dropped his shoulders, pouting. "But I wanna go see the windmill."

"I know, but let's get some rest first". He turned to Dagger, "we also need to decide what to do next." Zidane gave her a nod, and proceeded to open the door to the building on the right, a picture of a bed secured above its door. The others followed him inside, with Steiner bringing up the rear.

No sooner had the doors slammed shut, two boys scrambled out of a hiding place nearby, flapping their arms excitedly.

"Did you see that?" asked the boy in blue.

"I sure did!" the boy in brown replied.

They ran off down the path; birds scattered as they hurried off.

Inside the inn, Zidane approached the reception desk. It was a comfortable, cosy space, decorated with several large leafed plants. A breakfast table was set up beneath a window with a water pitcher and glasses, a moogle was warming itself by a small clay fire, and a basin fountain gently trickled at the corner of the room. The inkeeper was slumped down over the register, snoring. "Sleeping on the job?" Zidane laughed. He leaned over and tapped the man firmly on the shoulder. Startled, the man lifted his head, blinking at Zidane for a couple of seconds.

"Oh… I'm sorr…y" he yawned, rubbing his eyes, and he scanned the group. Suddenly his eyes widened, locking onto something behind Zidane. "…." The thief followed his gaze, running past Vivi to Dagger, who was taking in the homely reception area, oblivious to her admirer.

Amused, Zidane leaned in close to the innkeeper and whispered, "Hey, I know she's cute, but it's rude of you to stare."

The clerk looked genuinely startled, flicking his attention back to Zidane. "Oh, I-I wasn't staring at the young lady. I was just…." But he didn't finish the thought. With a wide gesture, he indicated to a door on the left. "The room is right over there." He fell back into his humble seat, pointing to the door again. "Make yourselves at home."

As Zidane crossed towards the door, Dagger spoke up from beside the fireplace. "Um… Zidane? Where will I be staying?"

"In the same room, where else?"

As he thumbed the air over his shoulder, Dagger's mouth dropped. She looked mortified. He guessed she'd never had to share a room before, being a princess and all, but he was disappointed that the notion was really so horrifying for her.

"But, Zidane …. I mustn't…"

He drew in closer to her, keeping his voice low. "I understand how you feel, but these country inns don't have private rooms." Shooting her a reassuring smile, he walked to the bedroom and opened the door. "Get inside everyone."

The room was as charming as the entrance, with four country beds and a small well at the centre. A skylight created a geometric shape with sunlight on the floor. There were rustic patched quilts on each cot, and a small ladies dressing table pushed up under a high window. They even provided a selection of books for their guests, but with titles like _How to Save One Million Gil _and _Makin' Crazy Money _Zidane had to wonder what niche of people were visiting the village these days. These books sucked. Someone had set up an old divination game on the dresser; Zidane recalled it was named 'colour fortunes' and had been a big fad in Lindblum a few years back.

All Daggers reservations seemed to drop away as she followed in behind Vivi. Immediately, she hurried to the bed with a sun painted on the baseboard. She was admiring the little stool placed next to the bed, when Zidane spoke up from the doorway.

"Tell me one thing before we go to sleep," he said, walking past the well to stand opposite her. "Why did you wanna leave the castle, Dagger?" The question had been on his mind for some time, and he worried that without her reasons, he wouldn't be able to help her. To his surprise, the princess didn't even hesitate before answering.

"If the theatre ship hadn't crashed…" she prompted.

"It would have arrived at the neighbouring regency of Lindblum," Zidane finished. Behind him, Vivi gave a loud yawn. The implication of Dagger's words was obvious. "You were gonna leave Alexandria?" Steiner raised his hands above his head, like he'd seen a ghost, his mouth falling so far open, he could have swallowed a chocobo egg whole, but the princess didn't say a word. Zidane steadied himself. "I see. If you hadn't been caught, you'd have reached Lindblum by now." Pondering this new information, Zidane paced along the edge of the bed, thinking aloud. "But now, we'll have to cross South Gate on foot." He rested against the backboard, chin in hand. "Border crossing huh?"

"Zidane, please listen," Dagger began, laying a hand over her heart. "There is a reason I must leave the kingdom. I cannot tell you why… but… please."

He nodded to himself, facing her again. "I understand… " And he gave her a mischievous smile, "I'll get you to Lindblum somehow."

During this conversation, Vivi was fighting to stay awake. Zidane could hear him yawning, saw him stretching from the corner of his eye. Finally, the boy made his way over to the nearest bed.

"I've heard enough!" exclaimed Steiner, right on cue. With sympathetic eyes, he approached Dagger, "Princess, you cannot trust the words of a thief! He may expose you to even more danger, like he did in Evil Forest!" He placed his hands out, palms up before her. "I beg of you, Princess. Please, return with me to the castle."

"I know I screwed up in Evil Forest," Zidane interjected, approaching Steiner. "But there's no doubt in my mind now. I'll protect Dagger with my life."

Steiner leapt up at the mere suggestion of such a thing. He raised a finger to Zidane's face. "Don't be ridiculous! It is I who protect the princess, now and forever!"

"Then tell me," Zidane said, "How do you intend to take her back to the castle?"

The knight fumbled over his words, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. For all his pontificating, the man never seemed to think too far ahead. He gave a cough, regaining his composure, "I-I will think of a way…" Zidane smirked, throwing out Steiner's words with a swing of his arms, and a shake of his head. In response, Steiner screwed up his mouth and narrowed his eyes, and shook his hands in an action similar to ringing someone's neck. A soft snore came from the far bed, distracting them all.

Vivi was asleep, laying belly up on a bed with his hat pulled over his face, his body rising and falling with his breathing. "Master Vivi…" Steiner said, softly.

"He was tired," Zidane whispered, "But you had to go on a tirade."

"What!?"

Zidane ignored him, turning, instead, to Dagger. "Let's go to sleep." She nodded in agreement. Steiner put his arms out in a pleading motion once more, but it appeared even the princess was sick of his ranting. Zidane hurried to the bed beside Dagger's, yawning, eager to rest in a proper bed for the first time in days.

(!)

Someone was singing. A lilting melody glided into the darkness, bringing Zidane into a state of half-sleep. He smiled, enchanted. _What a… beautiful voice…_ The tune was simple, sung without words, but it sounded sad to him in a way. _Who's singing? _

Zidane woke a little while later, feeling refreshed, the song still ringing in his ears. He leapt up from the bed, stretching out his body as he yawned, taking in the brightness of the room again. "I've never heard a song like that before," he said to himself. "…Was that Dagger singing?" He gave his rear a little scratch, pondering the notion. It had definitely been a girl's voice, no doubt about that, but it could have easily been a villager passing by the window in the early hours. Suddenly, Zidane noticed he was surrounded by three empty beds. "Oh, everyone's up already. I wonder where they went?"

(!)

Vivi knew exactly what he would do while the others slept on that morning, and he knew exactly how to get there. The sails rotated rhythmically just a short walk from the inn, so there was no chance of getting lost. He started up the road, really just a selection of flat stones imbedded in the earth. Everything about Dali was so peaceful; there didn't seem to be anybody around, as he made his way past the inn. Then, he spotted three excited children, playing chase near a well. Two boys and a girl, all dressed in bright clothes and hats, were giggling and calling to one another. They started up the path just as Vivi was nearing, but the moment the kid in blue saw the mage he halted in his tracks. "!" He appeared startled by the sight of Vivi, so the mage smiled, trying to look friendly. The boy in brown ran into the back of the boy in blue and yelped in surprise.

"Ow! What's going on?" he moaned. He turned to each of his friends; the girl and boy were both staring wide eyed at Vivi. When the snot-nosed kid in brown saw him, he jumped back. The other two children backed away quickly and ran. The girl hurried inside a nearby building; the boy hid behind the well. "Hey you're…?" said the snot-nosed child, then he too hurried away, joining his friend behind the well.

Not sure what to do, Vivi continued towards the windmill, but he found himself stopping by the well. _Are they… avoiding me? _ Deciding to test the thought, Vivi crossed over to the well. The boys on the opposite side, back further away the nearer he got. The mage wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind, and so he remained silent.

(!)

"I wonder…"

The princess found herself standing at a small vegetable field. She'd been unable to sleep, so had risen early to take a walk around, but her thoughts wouldn't leave her. "I wonder if the castle is okay?" she said to herself. "That was quite a ruckus". There was nobody around to hear her, just a scarecrow in a knitted yellow hat, performing his duty, arms outstretched among the plants. Dagger walked along the inside of the fence thinking about the night she had run away. "Mother went too far. She didn't have to set fire to the ship, even if she did it to rescue me…" She recalled how the bow of the theatre vessel had torn through the stands, "I wonder how many people got hurt? I hope the damage wasn't too severe." The image of people scattering from the rooftops made her clutch her arms to her chest, stopping near a gap in the fence. "Some people could have died… Like in Evil Forest…" Poor Blank. That had been all her fault.

Before she could dwell on the thought any longer, a dry, old voice peeped up behind her. "You're in my way kiddo."

_Kiddo _The princess turned to find an old lady dressed in a battered green coat. Her headscarf matched the hue of the nearby pumpkins and her chin was covered in whiskery hairs. Dagger stepped back slightly. "Oh, my apologies…" she stopped, remembering to watch her speech. Thinking about what Zidane or Vivi might say, she quickly corrected her words. "I mean, I'm sorry." She took herself out of the elderly woman's way.

"Kids these days," she mumbled, shrugging. She bustled over to the high corn stems, bent low, and ran her bare hands through the dirt.

"What are you doing?" Dagger asked, trying to peer over.

"Can't you see what I'm doing? I'm killing the bugs on the crops," she answered, clearly irritated, and moved over to the next plant.

"You're … killing the bugs?"

The old lady stood and faced Dagger from her place in the corn rows. "Yeah, that's what I'm doing," she exclaimed. "Bugs are just like monsters! They destroy our crops if you leave them be!"

_Crops? _

Dagger decided against asking any more questions; obviously the old lady didn't like to be distracted while she worked. She was still busy digging through the soil at the bed of the plants. Suddenly, something jumped up from her hands, a red blur leaping into the air. "There's one!" cried the old woman. The insect made a high-pitched croaking sound, and bounced off the ground. It arched over towards Dagger, who managed to catch it in her hand. The bug sat belly up, caught in her fingers, its little black legs wriggling. "Oh, an oglop!" she remembered them from the theatre ship. "Oglop's eat vegetables?"

"You're a strange one," the old lady commented. "Most girls hate oglops."

"Is that so?" Dagger replied, looking down at the harmless creature. She supposed it was rather ugly. "It's just I haven't seen to many of them…" When she lowered her arm, she kept hold of the insect. _Wait. Zidane told me to try and blend in… _If she didn't behave the way village girls behaved, she might stand out too much. She nodded to herself. _Maybe I should act like I don't like oglops._ The princess summoned her acting ability again; she could do this. _1,2,3 _The next moment, Dagger had thrown the bug high into the air behind her; she clutched her hands to either side of her head and let out an "Aaahhh" for good measure.

(!)

No sooner had the final guest left the in, the cat perched atop the fire place, jumped down and meandered over to its master. It hopped up onto the desk, mewled loudly, and began grooming its front leg. Hal, who had been feigning sleep all morning, greeted the animal without so much as raising his head from its position on the desk. "Oh, it's you… what should I do?" he asked the cat. "I don't wanna give into my brother, but everyone is making money 'cept me…" It had been a struggle with less workers staying in the village for temporary farming work. The four surprise guests the previous night had been his only business for months. "Hey, wasn't that customer travelling with…?"

In his realisation, Hal lifted his head, his eyes locking onto the spot where it had stood the night before. He smiled, "I won't have to give in if I tell him about them!"

The cat gave another meow and continued to lick its fur.

(!)

The village was particularly quiet, which struck Zidane as odd so early in the morning. Last time the road had been busy with carts, but the only noise came from children playing further up the street. When he walked past the Mayor's house, Zidane spotted some old equipment piled up at the side of the building. Amongst the gear was a large wheel, which looked big enough for an airship engine. Why would they need something like this on a farm? However, when he found the farm, he was surprised to see it had diminished considerably in size. Instead of vast fields of crops, Zidane discovered a plantation not much bigger than a vegetable garden being tended by a single old woman. Beyond, was a now a stretch of open grassland with a large circular symbol ploughed into the ground. Why would the villagers need something like that?

Zidane found Vivi at the windmill, as he'd expected. The mage was standing near the granary, staring at an empty pen, and was startled when Zidane came up behind him. "Hey Vivi, what's up?"

"Zidane!" he squeaked, startled. "N-nothing, I was just thinking."

"Ah, I see," Zidane replied. He gave the mage a knowing expression, but the boy simply looked back at him, questioningly. "You met a girl!" he said, then turned, trying to locate the object of Vivi's crush somewhere nearby.

"No, no!" Vivi quickly exclaimed. "Nothing like that!"

"What? Don't tell me you don't like girls!" Zidane said, entirely taken aback.

The mage wasn't really sure how to answer that question. He lowered his head, avoiding Zidane's gaze, and quietly admitted "I never really thought about stuff like… that."

"I'm always thinking about girls," Zidane proudly announced, trying to assure the boy that such matters were entirely normal. "I'm popular with all the ladies in Lindblum," he continued, gesticulating with his arms to establish the enormity of his popularity. He knelt down on one knee, peering into Vivi's eyes, smiling. "Come to me if you have any girl trouble, okay?"

"S-sure. Thanks."

"Okay then." Zidane stood up, his expression becoming serious again. "We need to decide what to do. I'm gonna look for Dagger and Rusty. Would you mind heading back to the inn?"

"Sure, I'll head back."

Zidane have a nod of approval and started to walk away. He'd only taken a few steps, when he turned around again, a curious look on his face. "So, what were you staring at?" he asked.

"Nothing. But I keep hearing a sound like 'kweh'" The last word was pushed out in an odd kind of squawk.

"That's the sound chocobos make…" Zidane explained. He turned to the pen; an empty food trough was attached to the stone perimeter, and a small pond served as a water source, but there didn't appear to be anything occupying it. Vivi was scrutinising the enclosure as well, checking the little bush for any signs of movement. The only sounds came from the rhythmic spinning of the windmill sails, which cast a shadow down onto the pen. Unable to locate the creature, or even hear it, Zidane decided to leave Vivi to it. "I'll see you back at the inn!"

"Okay," Vivi said, as the thief left. Alone again, he contemplated the pen. "What are chocobos…?" he wondered aloud. Maybe they were small enough to be hiding in the hedge or the pool. The sound came again, loud and close, so Vivi peered hard into the enclosure. "Chocobo!?" he called, hoping it might respond to its name and come out.

Suddenly, Vivi felt two strong arms wrap around his torso. A blue blur appeared in his peripheral vision, but he was already held tight and too panicked to say anything. As whoever it was dragged him away, Vivi let out a startled "Aaah!" but it wasn't very loud. The man picked him up like he was a toy, tucking him under one arm, and darted away with the mage in tow.

(!)

Dagger wandered into the weapon shop pretty much on a whim. She'd never actually been inside such an establishment before, and had become curious when she spotted the wooden sword jutting out of the building, acting as a sign. The shop was very diminutive, but nothing was very big in Dali, not even the farm, and she supposed the villagers didn't have much need to arm themselves. There was a cluster of larger weapons stacked haphazardly against the left hand wall, including an axe on a very long pole, and a plain shield. Opposite, shelving had been built to accommodate the smaller items such as the rods she was accustomed to and knives like Zidane's dagger. The room divided by the counter, upon which sat a maize coloured tea set, and the upper portion of a suit of armour, diligently polished so it shone in the light from the nearby semi-circular window. The shelves behind the counter obviously housed the more expensive items, decorative feathered hats and even an iron sword.

Dagger was surprised to find a girl perhaps two or three years her junior, sitting alone behind the desk. She wore the simple garb of a village girl, plain but bright, with a pink headscarf. The princess wondered if she stuck out in her fine fabrics and jewelled necklace. It was imperative she understood the basics of country living. _I must speak with this girl and learn how common folk speak_ she decided, and if she could work in questions about everyday life, so much the better. As she approached, the girl smiled dutifully.

"Welcome!" she said, with a little bow of her head.

"Um…yes…" Dagger began, then considered her next sentence. "Can we talk for a bit?"

"Talk?" the shopkeeper repeated, confused.

_What should I say? _ She hadn't anticipated that such a request would be unusual. "Um" She contemplated whether to begin with something direct like 'I'm from the country', or to try to play on the situation with 'show me what you're selling?'. Before she could decide, however, a boy donned in blue scurried in from the road. He pushed past her, forcing her to back away as he dashed to the counter. The young shopkeeper turned red.

"Yacha!" she said, sharply. "Can't you see I'm with a customer?"

"But I just heard something awesome!" the boy replied, eagerly, rocking back and forth on his feet.

_Awesome?_ Dagger thought to herself. There were so many words she didn't understand just in this one tiny settlement. "Um… please…" she interjected, before thinking better of it. "I mean, don't mind me!" _Here's a chance to listen in on some conversation!_ Maybe if she heard the words spoken in context, it would be easier to grasp their meanings and use later conversations.

Yacha flapped his arms, giving her a grateful smile. "Thanks lady!" He turned back to the girl behind the desk, and started pacing in his excitement. "I was gonna say…"

(!)

"Hee hee hee"

Hal couldn't stop giggling to himself from his post at the reception desk inside Dali's only inn. "Oh the look on his face," he told the cat, who sat atop the fireplace, "he sent someone to pick it up right away! All I have to do now is keep quiet until the guests leave…" The innkeeper stole a glace at the closed bedroom door. One of the travellers, the young lady, had come back to wait for her companions, and he suddenly panicked that she may have overheard. He lowered his voice. "Gotta pretend I'm asleep!" Hal lowered his head back down onto the sign in book he'd been using as a pillow. He did everything he could to stay still and quiet, but the laugher just kept bubbling out of him. "Hee hee hee!"

(!)

Zidane found Dagger in the weapon shop, the last place he'd expected to bump into her. "Dagger…" he said, softly as he entered, but she didn't appear to hear him. Instead, her attention was focused upon a small shelf of wares. _What's she looking at?_

Intriqued, Zidane came up behind her, trying to follow her gaze. The shelf she had her eye on displayed a range of knives and rods. Dagger didn't seem taken by any one particular thing, but was instead turning her head left to right, eyeing up several weapons. Quite inexplicably, Zidane found himself matching her movements exactly, shifting his gaze whenever she did, back and forth and back again. Suddenly, she started, catching the thief in her peripheral vision. "Zidane!?" She spun around.

"You got a fever or something? Your face is all red."

"I-It's nothing," Dagger replied, her voice deliberate. "I'm fine."

"You're acting strange…"

"What?"

"I get it!" Zidane exclaimed, catching the alteration of her words, and the new simple tone in her voice. He smiled proudly. "You changed the way you talk! You're doing great!" In truth she still sounded a little funny, her regal voice half merged with the brash lilt of a villager, but he wanted to be encouraging. And for only a few hours practise she was doing pretty well.

"Thanks," Dagger said, with a nod. "I did fine in the play didn't I?"

"Oh yeah," Zidane agreed. "I thought you were Ruby!"

"I'm a big fan of Lord Avon's plays. I have-" she stopped, pausing only briefly to rethink her words "I mean, I've seen all of them. _I Want To Be Your Canary_ is one of my favourites!"

"Oh yeah?" Of course, Zidane already knew that. The reason the troupe had been told to perform that particular show was because the princess was rumoured to favour it. But, he didn't want to end the conversation; he wanted Dagger to keep talking, and he loved the way her face had brightened when the topic came up.

"Is Ruby the young lady with the strange accent?" Dagger asked.

"Uh, yeah."

"Should I talk more like her?" At the last few words, Dagger took on Ruby's verbal drawl, which seemed so out of place coming from her lips, Zidane suppressed a wince.

"What? No, no!" he said. "She's really finicky about her speech. She always laughs at us whenever we try to mimic her. So, you should just be yourself, Dagger."

"I understa…" Dagger cut herself off; Zidane gave her a nod. "Alrighty!"

The two laughed quietly together.

"We need to decide what to do from here. Will you go back to the inn?" Zidane said, once they'd regained their composure.

"What about you?" Dagger asked.

"I'll head back soon." Zidane assured her.

"Alrighty. I'll catch you later."

"Good," Zidane whispered to her, leaning in close. "You sound just like a regular village girl." Smiling, Dagger nodded, and headed for the door. Watching her leave, Zidane felt a twinge of relief. _Crossing the border might not be so tough after all… _

At the doorway, Dagger stopped, seeming to remember something she had forgotten. Zidane was expected her to turn back to him, but instead she came a few steps closer to the counter and the young girl sitting behind it. "Thanks. I had fun!" she said, happily, and followed her words, casual as they sounded, with a deep, regal bow. Then she simply turned back around and headed outside. Zidane shook his head. Once Dagger was out the door, the shopkeeper, turned to him with a bemused expression. "She was a strange one," she said.

Outside, Zidane stood on the doorstep of the weapon shop and yawned again, contemplating what to do. There was still, technically, one party member left to round up, but the idea of trawling the village for a conceited, loud mouthed knight was uninviting. "I'll just let Steiner be and go back to the inn," he said to himself. Rusty would probably head back of his own accord anyway, what with his fixation on duty. Before heading inside, Zidane crossed the land bridge over the pond underneath the inn's bedroom room window and peered inside.

So far, only Dagger had made it back. She was stood by what had been her bed, talking to herself. "And instead of 'I apologise', it's just 'I'm sorry'. I appreciate … No, I should just say 'thanks'".

Chances are Vivi was still at the windmill, and Zidane couldn't pass up the opportunity to be alone with any girl, let alone Dagger. He made his way back inside, past the still sleeping innkeeper, to the bedroom. By the time he entered, Dagger was seated quietly on the stall next to the bed. She'd probably heard him open the door.

"Did you wait long?" he asked her. "I asked Vivi to head back. He should be back soon. How do you like this village? Pretty different from the castle, I bet."

"Yes. The kids are very energetic, and there are so many things to see. I've never walked around so freely before in my life!" Dagger said, with wide, excited hand gestures. Her expression dropped a little. "But… Where are all the adults?"

"Yeah…" Zidane agreed, bringing a hand to his chin. He'd noticed it too. There didn't seem to be anyone older than about fourteen anywhere in Dali, except the elderly woman minding the vegetable patch and the narcoleptic innkeeper. Kids were running all the shops, even the bar. Zidane thought back to his first visit. "I used to see them tending the farm next to the village."

"But that farm is tiny."

"Yeah." He didn't think it was necessary to explain, it had once been several fields larger. "There's something strange going on… We'll leave once Vivi gets back."

"But… What about Steiner?" Dagger replied.

"I have a good plan for crossing South Gate. It's gonna be easy! There not looking for the rest of us, so we'll just hide you!" In a grand gesture of his eagerness, Zidane flipped backward onto the bed behind him. "Forget about Rusty. Leave everything to me!"


	16. V1 Chapter 16 Not Just A Regular Undergr

**Volume 1**

**Chapter 16**

**Not Just A Regular Underground Storage Facility**

"Firewood stacking duties are complete!" Steiner announced. He'd been in the village's pub nearly all morning, carrying crates, counting stock and helping the dutiful daughter of its owner, Slai, perform other menial tasks, all in the name of finding a way out of Dali and back to the castle. After what the bandit had said, Steiner had spent all night trying to come up with a plan, but gathering intelligence was the best he could do.

The pub was built around a tree, the broad trunk of which had been hallowed out at the bottom to create the bar. Off putting coloured lanterns hung in no particular order from the ceiling and mixed horribly with the natural daylight streaming through the diamond patterned window. The combination bathed the place in a sickening glow, Steiner supposed was only bearable when intoxicated. There wasn't even much room, with the tree at the centre taking up most of the room, leaving only enough space for a few barrels here and there to serve as stalls. Right now, the place was empty, but the knight dreaded to think what it must be like crammed with bodies, drinking and brawling.

Steiner hopped over the root splitting the general area from the stock room, and approached the bar. Slai was at the stove, washing it down with a cloth. It seemed she was responsible for most things, including everything Steiner had done that morning, but she couldn't have been more than eleven. Watching her, Steiner stood to attention. "I await your command!"

The girl spun around from the stove to face him. "It's my job to clean the bar. Why are you doing all this?"

It dawned on Steiner that the child might get in trouble for his assistance; perhaps it was prohibited to allow outsiders into restricted areas. She had tried to shoo him away, but he had been insistent. But nobody else in the village would entertain his questions, not even the mayor, who had asked him to leave the moment Steiner had entered the house. He would have to run a credentials check on the man when he got back to Alexandria. The innkeeper was all but useless, the old lady at the farm wasn't interested, and everyone else seemed to be children. At least Slai had been open to some queries about the village, though she claimed to have been too busy to say much.

"S-sorry," Steiner said. "Well now that you have some time, would you introduce me to some adults, like your father?"

Slai was still preoccupied, restocking the wine wrack with bottles from a crate. "My father won't be back until nightfall," she explained. "All the other men are also working. They don't come here during the day."

Frustrated, Steiner folded his arms and walked outside. He stood underneath the animal skull serving as a signpost, trying to think. "Pubs are supposed to be a prime source of information…" An idea suddenly struck Steiner, and he hurried back inside. "Ahem!" He hoped he would catch her attention, but Slai simply carried on fussing about behind the counter. Steiner continued anyway. "I need not ask an adult. Let me ask you a question! I need to know about what transportation method people use in this village". He shook his hands in front of him, trying to allude to the gravity of his request. "I cannot tell you the reason, but there is someone I must escort to the castle."

Finally, dutiful Slai stopped what she was doing and faced the night. She scrutinised him through narrow eyes, her eyebrows raised. "Are you from Alexandria castle?"

"Indeed!" Steiner confirmed, smiling proudly. "I command the queen's Knights of Pluto! I am Adelbert Steiner, Captain of the Knights of Pluto!" To Steiner's disappointment, this didn't seem to impress her

"Knights of… Pluto?" she repeated, slowly, her expression one of puzzled interest, then her eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh". With quick steps she came all the way over to the counter and looked up at him. "Well, if you're from the castle, I guess it's okay to tell you… Please go to the observatory on top of a mountain on the outskirts of the village. An old man named Morrid lives there. He takes care of the cargo ship."

"Cargo ship!?" Steiner replied in surprise. "So that piece of junk flies to this village!" Perfect! A plan quickly formed in his mind. Soon that monkey boy Zidane wouldn't be so disrespectful. Steiner could still win this day yet! He saluted to Slai. "Thank you!" As he turned to go, she piped up from behind the counter.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for cleaning."

Steiner was taken aback. In truth he didn't realise country folks could be so polite; there were exceptions to every rule, he supposed. "Nay," he began, smiling at her. "It is I who should thank you for your assistance. I must make haste!" He gave another salute for good measure.

(!)

"…As it turned out, it didn't matter that we snuck into their mansion. But the Kings were hiding something in their mansion…" Zidane looked over at Dagger. She hadn't spoken in a while, and was now occupied with a spot on the floor. "What's wrong? Am I boring you?"

"Oh, no," she assured him. "Your story is very interesting. But I'm concerned about Vivi. Why isn't he back yet?"

"You're right. He is late." Zidane agreed, as Dagger rose from her seat. The thief folded his arms. "I'm not worried about Steiner, but Vivi I'm not so sure about. Let's go look for him."

The windmill was the obvious place to start. "Wait a minute…" As Zidane and Dagger approached, the thief saw the area in front of the pen was now empty. "Last time I saw Vivi he was standing over there." He led Dagger over, but as they passed the well, a high pitched squawk caught Zidane's attention. "Did I hear a chocobo?"

They came to the pen wall, but the mage was nowhere to be seen. "Vivi said he heard a chocobo here," Zidane explained.

….sniff … sniff… It was quiet, but it was definitely real. A small sniffling sound was coming from somewhere nearby, but it was muffled.

"Is someone crying…?" Zidane asked. He checked around thinking that maybe a kid had fallen over, but even the children were gone now. Listening closely, Zidane followed his ears to the source. Hidden in a patch of high grass was a small stub of pipe; the sniffing echoed up from inside. "It's coming from the hole," he told Dagger, confused. He knelt down next to the opening, tilting his ear closer. Dagger came to stand beside him, remaining quiet. Someone was sobbing, alright. "Vivi…?"

"…Zidane?" a little voice, croaked back at him.

"Vivi!" Zidane exchanged a quick, stunned glace with Dagger, then called down to the boy again. "Where are you? Are you underground? Can you move?"

"They told me to stay here…" sobbed Vivi. Who?

"Are you hurt?" Zidane asked him, slowly.

"No."

"Don't worry, we'll get you out," Zidane assured him. "We'll hurry so stay where you are, okay?"

"Okay."

Zidane stood up, his mind reeling. Vivi was hardly a troublemaker; Zidane couldn't image the boy had upset anybody. Why would anyone in a backwater village like Dali kidnap a kid and stuff him underground? He looked up at the circling shape of the windmill. "What's going on in this village?" Dagger didn't say anything. She too looked a little shaken by Vivi's whereabouts. "There's gotta be a way into the underground somewhere. Let's look for one."

"Okay!" Dagger agreed with a firm nod. Neither of them wanted poor Vivi alone down there for any longer than necessary.

"It seems like such a quiet village…" Zidane said to himself.

Being a farming village once, it was likely Dali had some kind of storage area for grain, and keeping such things below ground was a good way to deter thieves. It was possible they were holding Vivi somewhere like that, and given the hole's proximity to the windmill, it made sense to search the mill house first.

It seemed the villagers were still producing enough crops to warrant the use of the windmill, though that amounted now to a small heap of flour at the centre of the mill and a few half-empty sacks slouching against the basin. The other thing of note was a chocobo saddle, which had been mounted on a basic wooden frame near the entrance. Zidane tried the door leading to the pen, but found it locked. He would need a key to get in the honest way, but the mayors half-sun motif had been stamped onto the lock, so it was unlikely Vivi had been taken there. For good measure, Zidane investigated behind the grinder, which yielded only an old coin with a ram etching, and then climbed the ladder to the second level. There wasn't much up there, just a circular platform constructed around the central grinding column. Massive gears churned clonking and thumping as they rotated the system, and blocking the path of two chests. A funnel puffed out Mist from below. That was strange. Were they using Mist machines to grind such little grain?

Really, Zidane had noticed the large, domed hatch instantly. It sat on the opposite side of the main entrance to the saddle, and, unlike most everything else in the village, was made of a strong industrial metal. Earlier, a young man had been guarding it, but now it was unattended. "Huh, isn't this obvious?" he laughed. When he released the latch, the trapdoor swung back on its hinge, revealing a dark cavity with descending rungs. "There's a cool breeze…"

Dagger followed Zidane down into the darkness, where they emerged, a short ways down, in a low cavern, with small stalactites on the ceiling. They were standing on a risen ledge at the end of which was a narrow mechanised platform acting as a lift down to a longer stretch of cave leading off around a corner. It was lit with torches, mounted at regular intervals along the walls. The floor had been manually flattened with the use of wood boards, but a slippery moss grew in at the damp edges of the walkway. Junk had been piled into a corner, including a dusty chemistry kit, a chained bird cage, and a chest containing 156 gil (which Zidane stole on principal). Silently, the pair made their way down the damp corridor, listening with the wind echo down the cavernous space.

At the end of the tunnel, Zidane stopped, stunned. The walkway continued off into a separate area ahead. Between the two points, the villagers had set up a hut, complete with a segmented cloth roof and cobbled flooring. Next door, a chocobo pen had been constructed. A low fence circled the perimeter, with a single gate for access, and Zidane could see where the well had once been. They'd knocked down the sides to create a lower access point for water, but the sunlight still shone down from the opening above ground. Unlike the enclosure near the windmill, this pen was occupied. A common yellow chocobo walked about inside, its large feet brushing through the hay lining the ground. The bipedal bird was smaller than most of its kind, but had the customary rounded peak and sharp black eyes. It didn't look very happy. A gyshal green had been hung up for it from the side of the hut, the sour odour of which could be smelled from where Zidane was standing.

"This isn't…" Zidane began, taking it all in, "just a regular underground storage facility."

"What's going on?" Dagger asked.

"Shhhh!" Zidane hissed back quietly. Voices carried out from inside the hut, and he crept closer to hear them. A huge barrel, blocked one of the hut's forward facing windows; Zidane knelt down beside it, close enough to overhear their conversation, but too low to be seen.

"Why is it moving…?" It was a man's voice. Is this where the adults were?

"Is it true the mayor's brother found it?" asked another deep voice.

"I guess they reconciled," a third, younger man chimed in. "His brother is one of us now."

"Wasn't he on the old lady's side before?" said the first man.

"Oh, about abandoning the farm? He probably only said that because he was fighting with the mayor," the young man explained. "Who cares? We need more workers anyway. Hey, let's put this in a box."

"I guess the guys at the castle will take care of it," agreed his cohort.

Hearing the words, Dagger piped up behind Zidane. "The castle…!?" she exclaimed, in a whisper, and came closer, hovering over the thief's shoulder. Suddenly, she caught sight of the design on the barrel, and her eyes widened.

"Yep, we're only in charge of production," the man in the hut said, matter-of-factly.

"Gotcha!" replied the other man.

"The pattern on this barrel…" Dagger whispered.

Inside, the men had started moving. "Come along now," one said, in a firm tone. The young man exited the hut, turning to check he was being followed..

"Vivi!" Zidane said, under his breath. There he was standing in the doorway. The poor kid looked terrified, his usually bright eyes dull. He shuffled out behind his captors, hesitant to move. "Hurry up!" the young man demanded.

Clenching his teeth, Zidane stood. "That bastard!" he said, about to pull his daggers and rush over to free his friend, but as she stepped forward to reveal himself, a strong grip on his shoulders halted him.

"Zidane! Wait!" Dagger whispered. She started dragging him backwards, away from Vivi who was still stood in the doorway. Zidane tried to keep his footing, flailing his arms to stop from toppling backwards and landing on her.

"Geez!" he hissed back. "Hey!"

As Dagger pulled him back towards the corridor, Zidane watched Vivi follow obdiantly behind the first man. Another of the men came up behind him. The mage kept his eyes on his shoes, shuffling as slowly as he could. Suddenly giving in to either fear or good sense, he halted, and let out a little groan. The man bringing up the rear of the group gave him a shove so hard, Vivi jolted forward.

"What is it?" Zidane demanded. Dagger had finally let go once they were around the corner. She ignored his irritation, desperate to get out her words.

"Did you see the large barrel next to the shed?" she asked; the question came out so fast the words tripped over each other. "I've seen the exact same pattern on some of the barrels at the castle". Zidane shook his head and shrugged, unable to grasp the significance. Dagger continued. "This place must have some kind of connection with Alexandria Castle. I must know what it is! So please… I beg of you, don't cause any trouble just yet."

Zidane thought about it for a moment, considering the implications of what she was trying to say, weighing the situation up in his head. There was desperation in her eyes, like there had been on the night they'd kidnapped her. "… Alright," he said, "But I will start trouble if Vivi is in danger. Agreed?"

"Sure."

"Alright, let's go," Zidane said, calm once again. "They went further inside."


	17. V1 Chapter 17 Mist Machines

**Chapter 17**

**Mist Machines**

The underground facility was much deeper than Zidane anticipated. He and Dagger wound through the various seconds of old storage. None of that storage was farm related. Gathered along the sides of the walls were machine parts, chemistry beakers, and chains. Crates and barrels were stacked in haphazard piles, all of them either sealed up, or completely empty. In the area just past the hut, there was even an old, bird figurehead mounted to a support beam, being used to hold a candle. In the same place, Zidane discovered a fixed pulley; it was probably once used for weighing sacks of grain, but the wheel was now rusted over. When Zidane gave it a kick, the mechanism gave a screech, and the rope snapped, released the chest secured to the clasp and sending it dropping down. He snatched the potion from inside.

Further on, the boxes became more numerous, stacked in formations so high, so body had placed a board to act as a bridge between them. Zidane and Dagger remained quiet as they headed past, expecting to have to avoid workers, but the areas were abandoned. The most they came across was a moogle named Kumop hiding in a barrel, and they only spotted him, because his pom was sticking up too far. Zidane wanted to break open the crates, find out what was inside, but he feared drawing unnecessary attention while still searching for Vivi.

They entered an area where the floor had been lined with paving stone, lit with large hung lanterns. Zidane spotted the machine instantly, stopping in his tracks to stare at it from across the room. "What the heck is that?" he asked, and dashed over to take a closer look. He was half way to the monstrosity when Dagger called out from behind him.

"Zidane!"

The thief skidded to a halt, and swung around. Dagger was standing near a small collection of storage crates, her eyes wide with concern. He hurried back over to her. "What is it?"

"Someone's crying…" she whispered.

When he listened closely, Zidane could hear it too, a muffled sniffling. It was hard to pinpoint over the hissing of the machine behind him, but following his ear, Zidane narrowed the location down to a long, triangular box, tucked in next to another oversized crate. He jumped on a nearby barrel and knelt down, focusing in on the sound. "….Vivi?"

"Zidane!?" It came from the triangular box. Zidane had spotted them on several occasions within the underground; to him, they had a coffin like appearance.

"It _IS _you!" Zidane said, a little taken aback. Strange as the situation was, he hadn't expected to find Vivi in storage. He jumped off the barrel, sizing up the box. "I'll get you out!" The crate wasn't nailed shut, but the rim of the lid was tightly fitted. He managed to pry it out slightly using his fingers. "Why would they stuff you in a box?"

"How could they…?" Dagger added.

"U-um…" Vivi began, but the clunk of the box loosening cut him off.

"We'll talk later!" Zidane said. Wedging his hand in the gap, Zidane began to pull the lid from the box. "Hooold on!" Straining, he shifted his weight to put more pressure on the crate, and felt the lip finally come completely away. "It's open!"

Vivi stepped out, his shoulders hunched down. Relief reflected in his eyes, but his cheeks were still damp from where he'd been crying. Zidane knelt down, and softly asked "What happened?"

"After you left some men kidnapped me and brought me here." The poor boy's was still afraid; his voice was shaking. He lifted his head and turned to meet Zidane's gaze. "They told me to stay put. I was so scared…. I didn't know what to do." As he spoke, Zidane shook his head in confusion and disgust. "They asked me 'why were you outside?' and then they said, 'the cargo ship isn't even here yet'. I didn't know what they were talking about, so I didn't say anything, and then they said 'Let's put it in today's shipment!'"

"And they put you in that box?" Dagger asked, echoing Zidane's otherwise quiet confusion.

"…Yeah"

"Well I'm glad you're safe," Zidane told him, standing. "Listen, Vivi. You gotta do something next time. You should try- screaming back or whatever."

"Screaming…?" Vivi repeated, hesitantly.

"Yeah like…" Zidane put on an angry expression. He leaned into the face of an imaginary adversary and feigned a threatening tone. "Get off me, you scumbag!"

_Scumbag? _Dagger thought to herself. She inferred the meaning from context.

"Like that," Zidane continued. "It surprises your attacker and empowers you!"

"Huh… I see," Vivi replied; he sounded convinced. Zidane gave him an encouraging nod.

"I need to ask you a favour, Vivi" Zidane said. He pointed to the facility behind him with a thumb over his shoulder. "We want to check out what's ahead. I know you might not be thrilled with the idea, but…"

"…Zidane, I wanna know more, too." For once, Vivi sounded certain. He pointed over towards the machine. "Look… What is that thing?" In the sudden excitement, Zidane had almost forgotten about the bell shaped machine behind them. Upon a more scrutinised viewing, the thing looked even odder. It spewed Mist methodically every few seconds with an audible hiss, pushing what appeared to be a ball down a conveyer belt.

"Alright, we'll all go together."

Before inspecting the machine itself, Zidane crossed to a set of double doors built into the wall behind it. A steady stream of gas was flowing out from the gap underneath, accentuated by naturally occurring light from the other side. "Is this… smoke?" Zidane asked, but shook his head when he knelt to get a closer look. "No… This… This is Mist." It wasn't as thick as thick as usual, but it was definitely Mist; did the door lead outside? But, they hadn't gone so far down to be back below the basin. The door wasn't locked, always a dangerous idea when dealing with Mist. "Let's see…" Zidane considered leaving the doors alone. If Mist was involved, there was always a chance of monsters. However, curiosity won out. Whatever it was they were keeping shrouded in Mist had to be important enough for a peek.

Sure enough, when Zidane pushed the doors open, two ghost like monsters rushed forward to greet them. They floated out on a burst of Mist, stopping to sway eerily before the party with overly wide, disconcerting smiles and narrow eyes. Aside from their gold hats, they were midnight blue in colour, and stood out prominently from their backdrop. Fortunately, they were easy enough to take down. Their worst attack was a simple thunder spell, and they didn't fare well against either magic or physical assault. Even so, Zidane wondered how well a villager would do against such a monster, which, he realised a little guilty, he had now realised into the facility. "…Mist monsters huh?" They'd have to be on guard from here on out.

A waterfall of Mist waited on the otherside. Reams of it cascaded down a slope of rock drawn up, Zidane assumed, from a fissure in the basin. It was being sucked into another odd machine with horn like appendages and jumbles of tubing and gauges. "So many machines…" he said, to himself. "What are they doing here?". Glass vessels, filled with a viscous fluid, bubbled as the Mist passed through the bulk of the machine. The only other things in the room were two storage chests containing a Phoenix Down and a potion. Another box, tucked away behind the machine concealed a Phoenix Pinion. It made sense to have items in here which restored consciousness, Zidane supposed. Upon inspecting the machine, Zidane was taken aback. "Looks like it's sending Mist to the machine outside…"

When the group returned to the bell shaped device in the next room, Zidane got a closer glance at the items being created inside it. They were pushed out from the innards onto a conveyer belt; ball like in form, they were stitched together from a refined material and thread thick enough to be rope. Zidane leaned in as close as he could to the opening from which they expelled. "Is that… an egg?" It seemed absurd, but the more he looked, the more the balls resembled large eggs. "Is this machine… making eggs?" He glanced up at the contraption itself, searching for any hint as to its purpose. "This isn't a Mist engine," Zidane had been around enough airships to know one when he saw one, "but, there is Mist coming out of it…"

They followed the wooden ramp built along the length of the conveyer belt. Turned out the belt was being powered manually by a chocobo in a wheel. "A chocobo and gyshal greens?" Zidane observed. The bird walked continuously towards the handing vegetable, rotating the gears in the carrier, sending the eggs into yet another machine further along. "The chocobo is powering the conveyer belt…" Zidane said, to himself, trying to match everything he'd seen so far into an idea of what could be going on. "Why don't they just use a machine to do it?" They had vast amounts of Mist being drawn in; why waste time on outdated methods when a Mist engine could do the job twice as quickly? None of it made sense.

Zidane stopped further along to inspect the machine swallowing up the eggs at the end of the conveyer. "Here's another strange machine…" he announced to his companions. This one was a tad more familiar; Zidane recognised the lines of Mist tubes and pistons working to create a high-pressure. "It looks kinda like the Mist engine on the theatre ship," he noted. But what were the using a Mist engine for, if not to power the other machines?

As they they came past the machine into another narrow corridor, Zidane spotted a hole in the wall directly behind the inner workings of the machine. He slid to halt and jumped back to peek inside, closing one eye to focus his vision in the other. "I can almost see inside…" he proclaimed, but not by much. It was dark and chaotic inside, shapes blurring into other shapes. "… but I can't see anything. I just hear some noise". Cracking and hissing and tearing. "Are the eggs… hatching?"

While Zidane had been pondering the innards of the machine, Vivi and Dagger had walked ahead. They rounded the corner before Zidane, and Vivi let out an alarming cry.

"Ahhh! What is this?"

A rail ran along the ceiling of the next room, but instead of eggs, it carried human shaped figures. They dangled down, swaying as they were pulled along, rounding a sharp corner into yet another machine. Each was uniform in size and shape, dressed in a purple coat and pointed hat. Zidane watched them emerged one after another, their faces dark beneath their hats. "They're…" he began, but the words failed him. "Some parts are different, but…" He tore his gaze away to look at Vivi. The poor boy was visibly shaking, speechless and wide eyed. _They look like Vivi_.

The figures bore a striking resemblance to the little mage; they were bigger, more the size of an adult than a kid like Vivi, but they were undoubtedly the same race, their bodies the same jet black, their eyes the same yellow. They stared out, seemingly lifeless and unmoving.

"Wh-What is this…?" Vivi asked, slowly, horror in his voice and his expression. "Are they… dolls?"

"!"

Hearing footsteps from the corridor, Zidane whirled around. A shadow was moving towards them. "Someone's coming!" he whispered urgently to the others. Neither of them was listening, lost as they were to the eerie scene playing out before them. "Vivi! Dagger!"

"Why…?" Dagger said, softly, not taking her eyes of the dolls. "Is my mother behind this…?"

Zidane shrugged, throwing out his arms in exasperation. They couldn't get caught here, now. "This is the only way!"

"Ahhh! What are you doing, Zidane!"

"Whoa!"

Zidane had Dagger over his shoulder, securing an arm around her waist to keep her in place. With his remaining hand, he grabbed Vivi by the hand and dragged him along with him. With his companions in tow, he ran for the exit between the machine the mages were being feed into, and a collection of oversized barrels. Before he could hare out, he spotted villagers performing various tasks and backed up. With no other options he rushed to the machine itself, ascending a set of steps up to the platform and dashing through the opening. Once inside, he dropped Dagger down. "Ahhh!" Zidane quickly put his hand over her mouth to stifle the noise. "….Murf!...!"

"Sorry!" he said, "but stay quiet!"

The young man from the hut reached the area, searching for the source of the commotion. "Hey!" he called, to the other adults working nearby. "Did you say something?"

The women looked up from their duties. "Nope, not me" replied the nearest, twisting the gauge and flipping a switch. Behind her the chocobo had been bridled and gave a loud chirrup.

"Okay. Never mind." When he saw the half-empty barrel at the end of the conveyer his expression turned stern. "It's almost time. Hurry it up will ya?"

"I hear ya!" the woman returned, flippantly, pressing another switch.

An opening in the ceiling dropped a small triangular crate down into the domed body of the final machine. From inside, Zidane gave a startled "Whoa!" as it landed, encasing him neatly in a claustrophobic shell. The box fell onto its side and was passed along another carrier.

"Zidane!?" Dagger called after him. A man helped push the box into a barrel, conveniently tilted onto its side to be loaded.

A moment later another crate fell, snatching Vivi out from behind her. "Ahhhh!" he cried, his screech muffled by his enclosure and the clanking of the belt.

"Vivi!"


	18. V1 Chapter 18 Queen Brahne's Steiner

**Chapter 18**

**Queen Brahne's Steiner**

Steiner was trying to remain calm. Having left the village and climbed a mountain, he had expected the worse was over, but he was met with true adversity when trying to extract any information from Morrid. Like Slai had said, he was a very old man. He stood at the top of the observatory mountain, eyeing up the rotation of the wind vane. For a simple village they had quite elegant weather monitoring equipment. The vane itself was crafted from gold in the shape of a moon and arrow, and mounted on a stone dome. It was perched over the edge of the cliff on a wooden support and flickered at the slightest touch of a breeze. Steiner reasoned it must have been constructed to replace the far less accurate wind sock, raised on a pole in the cobble wall fencing off the drop. The thing was not only ragged but also blackened by burn marks.

"Pardon me!" Steiner said, but once again Morrid didn't respond. The knight was beginning to believe the man might be deaf. "I must escort a person of high rank to the castle! When will the cargo ship arrive?"

"Hmmm…" the old man said, "Looks good." He wasn't answering, merely observing, and when he did turn to face Steiner he stiffened. "I'm busy! You're in my way!" And he simply stood there, almost nose to nose with the knight, waiting to be let by.

A long trail of steps had been carved up to the mountain top. Morrid began a leisurely descent, taking each step carefully, cane in hand. Determined, Steiner followed. The stairs curled around the mountain side, down to the plateau. A small abode had been constructed to the right of where the steps ended, though it was a tad ramshackle, appearing to have suffered from an avalanche with large stones still residing on the roof. When Steiner tried to address Morrid again at the bottom, he simply said "I have nothing to say to you," and walked into the house.

Steiner burst through the door after him, refusing to leave without getting the information he needed to finally escort his charge back to the Queen. The house was a one room affair, cluttered and homely. It had one circular window to let light in, but was mostly dominated by the illumination from a stove fire. A bed took up the entirety of one wall, but the man also had a desk and a chalkboard covered in charts and books. Perhaps the most striking object, however, was the 30inch, working airship figure, floating with a gentle hum above the bed. It looked familiar, but Steiner didn't allow himself to dwell on it. The whole shack was brimming with a rich scent.

"The smell of coffee relaxes me," Morrid said, holding out a mug. "How about a cup?"

"Oh, thank you." Taken aback, Steiner grasped the beverage with both hands, feeling the warmth through his gauntlets. Tentatively he sipped the dark liquid. A bitter, luxurious flavour spilled out on his tongue, and Steiner took another mouthful. Suddenly, he remembered why he had come. "I am not here to drink coffee!" he announced, fiercely. The old man didn't so much as flinch. Steiner jumped impatiently. "Tell me when the cargo ship will arrive, or else the Alexandrian royal family will appropriate this property!"

"And then what?" Morrid replied, calmly.

"I order you to tell me when the cargo ship will arrive!" It didn't sound like an order; it sounded more like a desperate plea. "Tell meeee!"

"You're not a very creative interrogator," noted Morrid.

"I am just trying to do what is right!" explained Steiner, shaking his hands to illuminate the urgency of his point.

"Who decides right or wrong? You?"

"Anyone can tell right from wrong," Steiner reasoned, matter-of-factly. The old man laughed at the notion.

"Ha ha ha… Still as green as a pickle."

Threats didn't work, orders didn't work, reasoning didn't work. Reaching the end of his limits with this man, Steiner tried once more, stating each word with harsh slow annunciation. "When will the cargo ship arrive!?"

Finally, Morrid answered. "It's already here. They should be loading it now."

Incensed, Steiner leaped up, shouting "Why couldn't you tell me sooner?" Morrid wasn't even looking at him anymore; his eyes were on his little model ship as he drunk down his coffee. Not wanting to waste any more time, Steiner rushed to the door. He stopped at the doorway. Morrid was infuriating and rude and seemed unstable. However, Steiner was a knight with a reputation to uphold and it wouldn't due to return to her Majesty and report impoliteness on his part. Reluctantly he addressed Morrid once more to say a quick 'Thank you' and salute him for his (eventual) help.

(!)

As Morrid had said the cargo ship was already settled on the fields just outside the village. The airship was as drab as he remembered, a small vessel holstered beneath a huge airbag with mounted propellers for propulsion. By any standards it was ancient. Steiner was relieved to see it. "Ah!" he said to himself. "It is indeed the cargo ship! Now I can take the princess back to the castle!" Although, hadn't she stated she didn't intend to go back? He folded his arms and lowered his chin in thought. "Now I must think of a way to get her on the ship…"

"Wha!" Something moved near the ship, though Steiner was still too far to clearly see what was going on exactly. He had expected to see the cargo ship already being loaded, as Morrid had stated, but the barrels of cargo weren't being pulling from the village. "There is something coming out of the ground."

An instinct homed by eighteen years of servitude told Steiner something wasn't right. He needed to be on that ship with the princess when it took off, and nothing was going to stop him. Determination swelling in his chest, Steiner charged over to investigate.

(!)

The cart pulled out of the underground via a hatch located just past the vegetable patch. Once there had been miles of farmland here, but not the area played host to an airship, and the villagers had constructed the access point to ease the loading process. They wheeled the cargo out in huge barrels, latched to a harness on their sideways so they rolled when pulled by the chocobo. Most of the load had already been secured to the sides of the vessel; the remaining few barrels were standing nearby in preparation. Two village men had been put in charge of ensuring the quota was presented on time. They stood ready to unlatch the last of the day's load.

"I wonder what they're gonna use them for," asked the older of the two, as his companion halted the chocobo. "We've been making lots of them since they set up the factory six months ago."

The younger man moved around the barrel to unlatch the other side. "Who cares?" he asked, dismissively. "This is a piece of cake compared to farming. Better money, too."

The older man supposed he was right. Back when they worked the land, everything was always uncertain and difficult. Food production was volatile; all it took was bad weather, a swarm of oglops, or a high Mist rolling up from the basin and a yield of crops would be gone, and after months of careful attention to ensure their growth. Not to mention the money. The castle was generous with its payments, and even allotted bonus for extra cargo. Really there was nothing to complain about… but he always wondered what it was all for. He turned away to stare as the pasture beyond, trying to shake the questions from his head. Something was glinting in the sunlight. When he realised what it was he jumped in surprise. "H-Hey!" he called, back to his friend. "Is that scary guy in armour running towards _US_!?" Confused, the younger man hurried over.

A man was hurtling towards them from across the field, his body glinting in the sunshine thanks to a coat of battered armour. The sight was so alien, the man could only assume it was a Mist monster which had crawled up the cliff side. "Let's get outta here!" he yelped.

In silent agreement, the older of the two ran straight back into the underground, and shutting the hatch. His companion headed back to collect the chocobo and cart, guiding the bird away towards the village.

(!)

By the time Steiner had arrived, whoever had been near the ship was now gone. Instead he found only a barrel, almost twice his height and four times his girth standing alone next to the airship. "This barrel… what could be inside?" He ran around the circumference of it, trying to find any clues as to its contents, but other than the Alexandrian seal painted on the side (a sure fire sign of where the ship was headed) there was nothing. "What could they possibly be shipping out from this village?"

Suddenly, the barrel shifted. Steiner took a step back. "What the-? Did I just see that barrel move? Let's see…" He could observe the container further and see it leapt again, but time was of the essence. This was the time for action. He would break into the barrel and see what was inside. Taking up a position behind the barrel, Steiner pulled his sword from the sheath on its back. With a steady strike he plunged the blade into the barrel. "Hyah!"

"OW!" the barrel yelped, in a familiar voice. A young, tailed boy came shooting from out, wailing. "OOOWWWWWWCH!" He landed on the top of the container, his expression filled with fury. Steiner threw his hands up in shock and bewilderment. Looking down at the knight, Zidane thrust out his hands . "What did you do that for!" he demanded, his tail high and swaying.

"You!"

"You almost stabbed Dagger!"

"The princess?" Steiner cried. She was in the barrel as well?

Zidane leapt off the barrel, landing briefly on Steiner's head, knocking his helmet hard onto his skull, and sending stars dancing into the knight's vision. "Ouch!" he managed, before falling with a clatter onto his back.

By the time Steiner had staggered to his feet, the princess and Vivi had also emerged from the barrel. The mage had his head down so far the droopy point of his hat had flopped over, and its brim almost entirely covered his face. Garnet wasn't harmed, thank goodness, but she did look a tad palled. Both she and Zidane had their eyes on Vivi. Tired of being utterly confused, Steiner jumped about trying to get their attention.

"Princess, what in the world is going on?" Once again, his suspicions lay with the bandit. He turned to Zidane, a thousand images of the thief somehow stuffing Garnet into a crate. "You scoundrel! Is this your doing?" To his dismay, it was Garnet who answered, placing her fists firmly on her hips and scowling at him.

"Steiner, please!" she said, her words harsh and fringed with annoyance.

"Yes, your highness," the knight, replied. Because as a knight he couldn't do much else. It wasn't his place to quarrel with her or overstate his position by asserting his intentions, but it caught him inside, somewhere cold, when she took the side of a criminal over his judgement.

"Zidane I don't know what to say to Vivi," the princess said, behind him. "I never knew anything suspicious was going on at the castle…"

"We still don't know for sure," the thief replied. "Let's stay by Vivi's side."

_This is not the time to panic, _Steiner thought to himself, _I must get the princess aboard the cargo ship somehow. Then we can head back to Alexandria Castle. _He tried to control his breathing, his mind racing for a way to convince Garnet to come home.

"Yo, Rusty," Zidane piped up behind him. The knight heard him rising from the ground, where he had knelt before Vivi. "Do you know where this airship's going?"

The words fell from Steiner's lips before he really knew what he was saying. "…L-Lindblum. Yes, to Lindblum." Never before in his life, let alone in his years in service as a knight, had Adelbert Steiner lied. It was worrying how naturally the lie had come out, tripping of the tongue like milk. Of course, such a thing was wrong, and he felt shame swelling in his belly… but this was an extraordinary predicament, and his untruth was to protect the heir to the throne. Surely, any god and his queen could forgive a knight such sin.

"That's convenient. Did you ask someone?" Zidane replied. Was the thief actually buying the sham?

"The old man at the shack told me, so it must be true!" Steiner answered, quickly. He pointed towards the observatory mountain, hoping the location would evidence his deceit. Something caught his eye over the fields.

"You're acting strange," Zidane commented

"Something is heading this way." 


	19. V1 Chapter 19 Black Waltz No2

**Volume 1 **

**Chapter 19**

**Black Waltz No.2**

Something was teleporting towards them. It would appear for seconds at a time and then vanish again. They craned their necks, trying to catch a good glance at it, but every time it reappeared it had changed its position. One moment it was high above them, the next it was far to the left. Suddenly, it was close enough to summon itself up behind them, causing the group to swing around to catch it, and flitting away again before they could. Finally, it settled before them, hovering with steady wing beats above the grass, staring with a pair of narrow glowing eyes.

Zidane recognised it instantly. The creature wasn't the same as its predecessor in the Ice Cavern, but it was close. Aside from a more flamboyant hat and coat, and that it was flying, it was almost identical. Knowing this could only mean trouble, Zidane got into a fighting stance. The others merely stared at it, bewildered.

"Princess Garnet," it began, and even its voice was the same deep rumble, "the queen is waiting for you at the castle!"

"You were all sent by the castle?!" Zidane asked.

Steiner swung to face him; though Zidane refused to remove his gaze from the threat, he felt the knight's eyes burning the side of his face. "What!? What are you talking about?"

"You were all asleep from the blizzard," Zidane explained. "He said he was a Black Waltz!" Actually, Zidane wasn't sure who had said it, it was something that had drifted in during his brief sleep, before the bell rang and woke him.

The Waltz focused in on Zidane. "Are you the one who defeated No.1?" It regarded the thief with amused arrogance. "I am Black Waltz No.2! My power, magic, and speed make me far superior to No.1!" He swung in on his outstretched arms. Zidane noticed how mechanically it moved. "Resistance is futile! Come Princess. The queen awaits!"

"No!" Dagger said, immediately, urgently. Realising herself, she softened her voice and lay her hand on her chest, extending the other in a regal gesture. "I will not return to the castle."

"Come with me or you'll regret it!" The Waltz narrowed his eyes further. Dagger was so startled she sat back on her knees, ready to parry a strike.

"Wait!" said Steiner. "I, Steiner, shall escort the princess back to the castle!" He spoke with all the reason and condor of a knight, but the Waltz merely laughed at him.

"Kee hee hee, you think I care?" It swung in on its arms again. Was it preparing for a spell? "I won't let you stand in the way of my mission!" the waltz spat at Steiner. In response, the knight balled his fists, one arm moving slowly for his sword hilt.

They were all holding the weapons now, standing in a line before the Waltz. It was clear he wasn't going away on his own. "Princess, stay there while I kill the others! I won't let you get in my way!"

With that it teleported towards them again, quicker this time, and in a direct line. As it reappeared before Vivi, the Waltz bought both it hands together, catching the mage between them as they met, and causing him to stumble back. Surprisingly, Dagger was the first to retaliate. No sooner had the Waltz backed away again, than she ran forward and whacked him across the chest with her rod. It did little to dissuade the Waltz, who took a similar shot at Steiner as it had at Vivi. Zidane crept in quickly, ripping away a leather plate, hoping to take some of the creature's defence with it. He tugged it away from under the coat and bounced back to his place in line with the others.

Vivi conjured a spell, something he had picked up recently. He closed his eyes and twirled his staff, concentrating the energy into his weapon. A blue hue emanated around him, casting an eerie tinge to the Waltz's face, and then suddenly bolts of lightning crashed down from above the Waltz. They continued to clap for several seconds, ending in bright clouds of electric discharge, but though the Waltz flinched, he appeared amused. He turned his gaze to the little mage. "This is how you use Thunder!" The air around the princess' companions changed suddenly; Zidane could feel the air stirring moments before the attack hit. Like Vivi's spell, the world streamed with lighting, sending painful shocks through their bodies, but then the energy culminated into balls, which circled around the group streaking electricity between them. By the time the spell fizzled out, everyone was rattled. Zidane fell, leaning against his knee, and Steiner and Vivi were hunched and heaving as well.

It didn't take much for Steiner to muster his strength back, and Vivi, who dealt with magic well lent his powers to Steiner's sword. Their combined attack drove a blade laced with fire into their enemy, giving Dagger enough time to cure Zidane. He felt the cooling tendrils of white magic restoring his health, and rose again into attack mode. Once Steiner had withdrawn, Zidane slashed at the waltz, bringing his dagger hard across its chest. Shaken having inspiring a stronger level of magic than he was capable of yet, Vivi took another bash at the Waltz with his rod. By the time he was back in line, Steiner was holding his sword aloft again, ready for another spell. His blade surged once more with the searing glow of fire, and he dealt a swift attack on the Waltz.

Their combined efforts had gradually driven the Waltz into a fury. Its eyes were now so narrow they registered as mere slits, but Zidane noticed how the steady beat of its wings had become slightly more erratic. "My mission is to take back the princess!" it snarled, again, but there was a clunky, uneven quality to his words.

The Waltz lowered its head, showing the horn like appendages on the top of its hat; it extended its arms wide then snapped them in again so its wrists overlapped and its palms faced towards the group. A white hot flame grew out from around Zidane; the thief felt his skin prickling as the intensity increased, whipping into a spiral of interlocking burning ribbons. Thick smoke rose from the centre. The radius of the attack engulfed both Vivi and Steiner as well. A few painful moments past before the magic dissolved. Zidane and Steiner were heaving, but remained in attack form, clutching their hilts hard enough to leave indents. Poor Vivi was slumped down on the ground, sprawled and unconscious. During that brief second of recovery, the Black Waltz struck another fire spell, which he aimed at Steiner. Though less intense, it was enough to cause the knight to reel back, delaying another blow from his sword.

With his comrades preoccupied, Zidane leapt forth to deal another slash. It gave Dagger enough time to get Vivi back to his feet with a Phoenix Down, but the boy was still very weak. Instead of making another attack, Striener aided Vivi further by tossing him a potion. After that he could at least stand straight. Zidane held the frontline again, keeping the Waltz at bay with another strike. The creature countered him with more magic, blasting him with the familiar icy pain of his predecessor. Dagger was already on the case; she let out another soothing cure spell, wide enough in range to ease all their burns and bruises. Vivi took another pop at the Waltz, followed quickly by Zidane and Dagger. Steiner called onto the mage again; Vivi pushed another wad of flame magic into the steel of Steiner's sword. The knight cut down through the Waltz's centre the flame trailing where the blade had been.

Steiner's sword severed some vital mechanical component. The Black Waltz fell back, jerking and jittering like a faltering windup toy. It arched its back, writhing about trying to lift itself. Finally, it lifted a desperate arm, reaching for the sky. "Wh-Why…!?" it sputtered, all confidence and malevolence gone from its voice. Instead, it sounded genuinely confused and even scared.

They took a moment to regroup, sheltering in the shadow of the airship's right propeller. Vivi had taken to staring at his feet, his head down and hands linked at his chest. Zidane wasn't sure what was going through the boy's mind exactly, but the Waltz's appearance couldn't have helped ease his doubts about Dali's production line. Even Steiner had been strangely contemplative; he stood beside Zidane, scratching his back. As Zidane was pondering what to do, with hands on his hips, Dagger finally broke the silence.

"Black Waltz No.2…" she said, quietly. "Did my mother really send him to capture me…?"

"It can't be!" Steiner hastened to respond. "There is no reason to trust the words of some bandit." Unsurprisingly, Zidane found himself the object of the knight's scrutinising gaze once again. "He was just another criminal, scheming to use the princess for some evil deed." But Dagger didn't appear to be listening.

"Have I not been careful enough?" she asked.

"Your noble upbringing cannot be disguised so easily," Steiner replied, encouragingly.

Zidane dropped his arms and swung around to face the knight. "That's not true at all!" he snapped, catching the attention of both Steiner and Dagger. Vivi didn't so much as twitch. "You haven't been watching. Dagger has been trying really hard." He rose his hands in frustration. "You're the one with the problem! Walking around yelling 'princess!' everywhere!" and at the word pivotal word, he accentuated the man's baritone, complete with desperate, yet obnoxious intonation. Leaving the man to shake his fists and grit his teeth, Zidane gently addressed Dagger. "About the border crossing…"

"Yes?" she said, her voice cheering slightly.

"Why don't we hitch a ride on this airship?" He pointed confidently to the cargo ship. Immediately, Steiner halted his flailing about. He peered at the vessel with a slight smirk.

"Sure, Lindblum should not be terribly far by airship!" Dagger agreed, then shook her head vigorously. "I mean… 'won't be too far'." Pleased with her amendment, she stole a glance at Vivi. "But why don't we get some rest before we go?"

Reluctant as he was to remain in the village longer than necessary, Zidane had to admit to his fatigue. Besides, Vivi had really been through the mill, what with the factory and being knocked out by a magic wielding lunatic monster. It seemed the cargo ship was a frequent guest to Dali, so even if they didn't catch one now, they could just hop another tomorrow. "Okay. Let's head back to the village". Gently, but confidently he added, "Vivi, you'll be safe with me."

(!)

It was a wonder the innkeeper didn't pay himself for the amount he slept. Since entering the village, unless prompted, the man was never awake. Once again, he was hunched over his desk, his breathing heavy and low, and an off putting stream of drool smudging the ink on his ledger. "He's out cold…" Zidane reported, and gave the man a few knocks on the head. The man sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorr…y" he yawned, but then his eyes focused on something behind Zidane and doubled in size. "…Hmm?"

Hal was slightly panicked. _I thought they'd captured it already_. A report had already confirmed his brother had had it rounded up, a few townsfolk had sent their accolades for his quick mindedness, and a nice big bag of money had been slipped on his desk for his trouble. Why, how and what was it doing here back at the inn?

The boy with the tail was following his gaze, but once again ended up at the wrong location. "Hey, I know she's cute, but it's rude of you to stare," he quietly, scolded. His words were harsher than last time and he appeared to have taken a few hits. Had something gone wrong? Was this tailed stranger the things protector? Did it belong to him? Whatever was going on, Hal had no wish to aggravate them further.

"Oh, no, I wasn't staring at the young lady…" he stammered out, dropping his gaze to his papers. Years of being an impoverished innkeeper took over. "Th-the room is through that door…" the words were out before he realised the group had stayed only the previous night. _Stay calm! _

Zidane didn't answer him, just decided it was better to get inside the room where the group might have a measure of privacy, but halfway to the door he stopped, openly pondering the man's bazaar greeting with a hand on his chin.

(!)

They returned to the field to meet the ship, which stood exactly as it had before, loaded up and ready to go. The propellers were still immobile, but according to Rusty, the flight was primed to leave in a matter of minutes, which didn't leave much time for subterfuge.

"Wait here while I ask the people inside if we can hitch a ride," he instructed, but Steiner practically leapt out of his suit in response.

"I-I shall go ask them," he insisted.

"Oh really," Zidane said, with mock curiosity, "how come?"

"I-it is not for your benefit!" he argued, "I am only doing this for the princess?" And before Zidane could so much as blink, Steiner sprinted away towards the ship's entrance.

"Steiner…" Dagger began, contemplatively. "He was so adamant about going back to the castle before…" She tilted her head and placed a hand on her chin, and Zidane was once again drawn to her cuteness. He didn't interrupt, just let her ponder through the clues. "An airship full of barrels like the ones I saw at the castle… Steiner was against going…" she stopped suddenly, shaking her head so her ponytail swished against her back. "Zidane, is this ship really heading for Lindblum?" He knew she'd get there.

"No," he answered; there was no point lying to her. "It'll probably take us straight to Alexandria Castle." Of course, he wasn't worried over the matter, but Dagger stared at him like he'd just suggested they crawl into the maw of a green dragon covered in sauce.

"But why…?" she said, "Didn't you just say we should get on the ship?" Her hands were either out in a plea, or she was restraining herself from strangling him.

"Yeah, I know," Zidane replied, his grin wide his voice non-chalant. He tapped his chest with his thumb, "Trust me!" But Dagger merely, brought a hand to her face unable to image a bigger disaster. It was disappointing that she was so worried he'd let her down.

"…Zidane." It was Vivi. Hearing his voice was a tad startling; he'd barely spoken since the incident with the Black Waltz.

"What is it Vivi?" he replied, his arms open.

"Those dolls they were making underground… Did you think they look like me?"

Zidane considered lying to ease the boy's mind, but he doubted that would really help matters in the long run. Vivi would have to face up to things sooner or later. "Yes. Maybe a little… But they're just dolls Vivi."

The slender lines of the propellers shadows began to spin, slowly at first, but quickly gathering speed.

"It's moving!" Zidane declared, staring up at the machine. Above, the propeller arms were whipped into a blurred circle, and the whole vessel rumbled to life as the crew prepared for take-off. "What the heck is Steiner up to?" He turned resolutely to the princess. "Alright, we have to get on, Dagger."

"On a ship that's not going to Lindblum!?"

"I don't have time to explain," Zidane replied, with a shrug. He started over towards the ship's entrance, hoping to encourage her with his willingness, but Dagger didn't follow. "Come on!" he urged, waving her over, but still she was adamant not to board a ship that might take her back to Alexandria. Zidane continued, standing beside the ladder leading up to the cabin door; again he motioned her closer with an encouraging wave. "This way!"

Vivi arrived first followed unenthusiastically by Dagger. He gave Zidane a quick nod and, without any further question, ascended the ladder. "Hurry up!" Zidane called to Dagger, but she shook her head unconvinced. The ship would take off within seconds; it was now or never. "You have nothing to worry about," Zidane assured her with a smile. "Hurry before she takes off!"

"But…"

"I'll take you to Lindblum, I promise!"

There really was no more time to discuss the matter. Zidane hurried behind Dagger, placed a firm hand on each of her arms and gently walked her to the foot of the ladder. "Fine, I'll get on!" she snapped.

"It's taking off!" Zidane warned, peering up.

Finally, Dagger hopped onto the ladder and began to climb. Relieved, Zidane jumped on after her. The rungs vibrated with the hum of the engines as they finished their warm up. As he acsened, Zidane felt his hand fall on something that wasn't a rung, but rather more round and supple. Dagger gave a surprised "Aaah!"

"Ooo, soft…"

The cargo ship, its propellers whirring and its blimp fully inflated, began its ascent by skirting the long grass of the fields, gaining speed. The landing sleds lifted from the ground even as Zidane was still climbing. It drew higher as it heading towards the Observatory Mountain and, as suspected, back over the basin heading for Alexandria.


	20. V1 Chapter 20 Sucked into the Sky

**Volume 1**

**Chapter 20 **

**Sucked into the Sky**

Zidane scratched his head, a tad ashamed. He, Dagger and Vivi were stood on a narrow platform, with a door leading into the belly of the cargo ship on one side, and a bulbous lantern hanging over a long drop on the other. Dagger was stoic, her face flushed, her expression stern, as she stared off into the clouds trailing behind them. "Come on, it's not like I did it on purpose."

"Please, enough."

"There's that royal tone in your voice again." Dagger didn't burden herself with a response, just deepened her scowl slightly. Shrugging, Zidane turned instead to Vivi. The boy was leaning on the wooden barrier, watching the rolling mist beneath. "Are you okay, Vivi?"

"Feels like I'm gonna get sucked into the sky…" he replied, forlornly.

"Let's go inside, Vivi," Dagger said, gently. Zidane stepped back to allow her past, standing where the ladder met the deck. The mage rose when she placed a hand on his shoulder. She pushed the door open with a commanding shove, and gave Vivi a firm nod. He strode inside without a word. Before entering, herself, Dagger slowly spun to face Zidane, managing to look him straight in the eye. "I trust you, Zidane." Her tone was matter-of-fact, delivered as a statement, and lacking in warmth or sentiment. With that said, she slammed the door behind her.

"I get the feeling she doesn't quite trust me yet…" Zidane said to himself. Despite her brisk tone, she was still relying on him to get her to Lindblum; in a way this was a kind of test, he supposed. When he got her to the city, surely she'd be elated with him, and then there would be no doubt she could trust him. "Maybe she'll reward me with a kiss or two if I try hard enough." A beat passed, and suddenly the door swung open to reveal Dagger. _Wow, already!_

"Zidane…!" The anger and embarrassment had left her face, to be replaced by worry.

"What is it? Something wrong?"

"It's Vivi…" Dagger answered.

"Vivi?" The kid had been through so much in the last few days, Zidane couldn't imagine what was going through his mind. He followed Dagger back through the door.

The mage was at the far end of the cabin, trying to communicate with a member of the crew. It wasn't a villager, but a being much like Vivi, only taller and differently dressed. Vivi was clearly struggling with what to say; his attention was on the ground as he tentatively sputtered out a quiet "U-um…" The creature he was addressing wasn't even facing him; it or him or… whatever it was, was attending to the Mist engage occupying the right hand side of the cabin.

"Wow, they're alive," Zidane managed, his mouth agape, "and they're moving around!" The one Vivi had attempted a conversation with moved to concentrate on the central control gauge a little further along. From everything Zidane understood about airship engines, the thing was running smoothly, with all its lights displaying a happy shade of green. "So, the mages built in the village bring back the new ones?"

Dagger didn't answer; her eyes were still locked on Vivi, who had hurried after the crew member and was once again trying to speak with him. "U-Um…" he stammered again, but his voice trailed to nothing, and the taller mage didn't appear to notice him at all. Vivi flopped down into a defeated hunch.

"Oh, Vivi…" Dagger said, sympathetically.

"Vivi!" Zidane called. As the tall mage walked away, Vivi quickly raised his head, even reaching an arm out, but the crew member simply brushed past. It wasn't a gesture of irritation or cruelty, Zidane noticed; though bright, its eyes had no spark. The mage didn't seem to be aware that anyone was trying to get its attention. "Vivi!" Zidane called, again, louder. Vivi tried once more; he sprinted up the cabin, but realised the futility of his persistence when he was, again, ignored. He made his way slowly back to Zidane and Dagger, who waited with sympathetic expressions. As soon as he reached them, his head fell again, farther this time so the droopy end of his hat flopped down over his face.

"Were you able to talk to any of them?" Zidane asked, wondering if perhaps he might have gotten a word or a grunt even.

Vivi didn't lift his head. "No… It's like… they don't even… see me at all… I tried… again and again…but… they won't even turn around."

Zidane unfolded his arms, and knelt down close to the mage. "Vivi," he said, gently, but the boy didn't turn to him or respond. Zidane shook his head and stood. "I need to go upstairs for a little bit," he told Dagger. "I gotta turn the ship around before it reaches the castle." The princess lowered her arms from her chest, but remained quiet. Placing a hand to his chin, Zidane wondered if he should tell her anything else, but decided against it. "Keep an eye on Vivi, okay?" She gave him a quick nod, and a sad smile, but said nothing.

The cabin was lit with the natural light coming from three large portholes. Zidane followed the cabin to the end, passing the working mage as he went, to another ladder up to the deck.

As he pushed up the hatch, Zidane could hear someone sobbing. He listened for a moment, wondering if there were perhaps more black mages or even villagers waiting on deck, but no one was walking about. Hopping through the hatch, Zidane laid his sights on a rusty heap, sobbing nearby. The man was down on hands and knees, shaking his head at the decking; as Zidane approached he could hear him muttering to himself.

"How could this happen…? What am I going to do….? I never expected things to go so badly…" Steiner moaned. "I cannot believe the ship took off without the princess! What will I say to Queen Brahne…?"

As much as he was enjoying the whimpering of this usually pompous man, Zidane interrupted him. "What the heck were you doing? You almost took off without us!"

Steiner continued to weep into the deck. "That is because… the ship's crew…" but he trailed off, seeming suddenly to have recognised the voice addressing him. He got to his feet with his usual dramatic flair, arms raised, hoisting up from the knees. He turned to Zidane and stomped angrily "Why, you…!" he spat, so hard Zidane had spittle on his shirt. "Where is the princess?" he demanded, right on cue.

"In the engine room," Zidane explained, casually.

"She is on the ship!?" Zidane gave the knight a clarifying nod. Steiner lowered his shoulders with relief and began laughing and smiling. "All is well now! This ship is returning to the castle!" he announced, proudly. The poor man believed he was capable of subterfuge. Zidane made no reaction. "You will be hanged for the kidnapping of a member of the royal family! Enjoy your freedom while you can." He pushed past Zidane to the hatchway and stood vigilantly. With a sign, Zidane shot Steiner a defeated shrug and meandered over to the control box.

Steiner had already inspected the helm room, and discovered no other means down to the cabin. The thief was stuck on deck, with no means of causing the princess further harm. He, Captain Steiner, had done it, and soon they would be back at the castle. He turned to watch the ship's crudely cut bird figure head cutting through the mist back to Alaxandria. "At last!" it was a weight finally gone from his shoulders. "Queen Brahne is sure to be pleased." Perhaps promotions would be in order, even. The thought was sugar to his soul. He might be made a Colonel, or even a General, the equal to Beatrix at last, and the princess would be safe back where she belonged. Meanwhile the thief who had caused this nightmare would be executed. A pang of guilt went through Steiner at that thought. "However… the princess would have been left behind without the thief's aid," but a moment of quick thinking brought the solution. "I shall partition for a life sentence on his behalf. Yes, that would be the honourable thing! But that was because the crew wouldn't listen! I must run a background check on them. Ah, yes. It is my duty as a knight!"

Happily mulling over what he would do when he arrived home, Steiner suddenly felt the ship lurch into a turn. He lost his balance and staggered to remain upright as the vessel jerked into an unsteady motion. "Wh-What the-"

The balloon tilted as the equilibrium of the propellers was briefly changed to allow for the change in direction. Instead of remaining on course over the basin, the cargo ship began a hasty turn around the cliff back towards Lindblum, setting the river as a guide. Mist was thicker over the river meaning an easy road between the cliffs to South Gate.

(!)

Another vessel, half hidden by the swirling mists, watched it change course. While the ship had been steadily bound for Alexandria there wasn't a problem, but now… The third took to the prow, balancing on the sharp beak of the eagle figure head. It observed the cargo ship as it flew over the valley and spread its dark wings. Beneath the rim of its pointed hat, its eyes glowed with excitement.

(!)

From the helm, Zidane watched a red faced Steiner hurtle towards the control box. The former pilot, another blank faced mage stood silently in the left doorway. Stiner burst through the opposite entrance, shaking a clenched fist at Zidane as he continued to stir the cargo ship around with an easy spin of the wheel. "Y-Y-Y-!" he stammered.

"What's the matter?" Zidane asked, with casual concern. "Something stuck in your throat?" He stiffened his tail out and gave star a cocky wiggle of his rear, and continued to spin the wheel, bringing the fin into full alignment.

"Y-You insolent fool!" Steiner finally managed. "Turn the ship around!"

Zidane saw the knight lunge for him from the corner of his vision. As Steiner delivered a, punch, Zidane leapt up and back, catching hold of the roof beam. The fist passed harmlessly under him, though it was hard enough to send Steiner into a spin. "Graaagh!" he cried, and came at the thief where he hung, but Zidane avoided this uppercut by swinging back. He used his tail to grasp another girder, and remained, his belly parallel to the ground, watching Steiner turn a deeper shad of red. "I will have you head for that!" he bellowed.

Zidane unwound his tail and dropped down onto his feet. Behind the glass screen, black mages were walking in a neat row towards the control box. "Hey, I think we upset them," he announced. Three mages parked themselves around the outside of the helm room and stared in at them.

"But they didn't respond until anything until now…" Another one came through the second entrance and became a mirror image of the former pilot on the other side. Stiener pointed an accusing finger at Zidane. "You're the one who started this trouble!" Zidane couldn't argue with that one; he had expected more resistance when he had begun changing course. "I apologise," Steiner said, addressing the crew, his voice humble but strong. "Please wait while I take this fool into custody and turn the ship around." However, once he had finished talking, the black mages simultaneously turned their backs on him. The two guarding the entranceways left the control room, and all started back up the deck. "What's wrong?"

Dagger had become bored and a tad claustrophobic waiting around in the cabin. She and Vivi had felt the sudden alteration in course, and the princess wanted to ensure that Zidane wasn't getting too much hassle for it. She gave Vivi a nod, inviting him to follow her to the helm. As he started after her however, he felt something drop down on the bow behind him.

It was another one, another Black Waltz, and Vivi felt his heart stop and then beat twice as fast, staring up into a pair of narrow, shining eyes. This one was slightly shabbier in appearance than the one in Dali. It had wings of vivid blue and a feather collared coat to match, and it carried a rod with a crescent moon structure at the end. "No," Vivi choked. Without a word, the Waltz raised a hand, and Vivi could feel the spell building within it, but he couldn't move, couldn't even feel his legs now. A blast of hot blue electricity struck out from the open palm, narrowly missing Vivi. The echo of the spark on the wood was enough to drive the boy backward; he was pushed back from his midriff and landed on his bottom a few inches away.

"Vivi!" Dagger rushed to him. She knelt down close. "Are you okay!?" but Vivi was so shaken he didn't answer, didn't so much as twitch.

"So, No.2 was defeated by a small child!" spat the Waltz. "You are no match against my power! Kwahahaha!" Its laugh was shrill and cold. It aimed it staff at Dagger. "Princess, stay there while I eliminate this child!"

The princess felt movement behind her, but refused to shift her gaze from the Waltz. However, her eyes slipped as members of the crew, the otherwise un-emotive beings manning the vessel came forward. Four of them shuffled along in a uniform row, and the staggered themselves at various points, enclosing princess and mage in the centre. "Are you protecting him?" demanded the Waltz; Dagger was wondering that herself, but the very face the Waltz had to ask gave her her answer. The formation gave Vivi enough strength to pick himself up. He stood between two of the larger mages. "… Nonsense," the Waltz said matter-of-factly. "You are no different to mindless dolls! What can you do?"

Dagger decided to act while the vile creature was distracted. She didn't know what would happen, but she was certain they shouldn't be out on deck when it did. As the Waltz addressed the crew, she gripped Vivi by the back of his collar and began to tug him back. The boy resisted, perhaps due to some sense of camaraderie, but Dagger refused to let him fight with them. They were bigger and there powers had to be greater than his. Summoning her strength, Dagger heaved him away, out of the formation of the crew.

"Get out of my way!" the Waltz bellowed, but even with the ferocity of his command the mage dolls stood firm. "Do you dare to fight a Black Waltz?" All four mages raised their hands in response. There synchronisation was incredible. Fire sprung from their palms, each bolt aimed at the monster on the prow. Though clearly angered, the Waltz was unfazed. "I said, get out of my way!" it repeated.

The attack was so quick it barely registered. The deck shuddered violently as lightning exploded through the ship, sending plumes of smoke and rubble over board. In the explosion the mages who had defended Vivi were thrown back like rags, their arms and legs limp. One landed so hard it practically rolled over itself, and smashed into the cabin, shattering the glass. As fragments of the window dropped, the other mages collided with the deck, washed over by a constant stream of electricity. Clouds of fire, either from their own spell or the Waltz's, spurred by the lightning scorched the air and wood. Vivi watched from the relative safety of the helm room, his eyes pierced with every detail as it unfolded. Time seemed to slow.

The Waltz, engulfed in his own electricity, laughed from the prow, spreading its wings in triumph as its attack continued. Sharp threads of lightning cut through the ropes securing the barrels of cargo to the main body of the ship. As they tumbled into the valley, the remaining electricity tore wood staves apart. The immobile, perhaps never alive, mage bodies rained down as lifeless as they had ever been, their hats fluttering as the last tinges of lightning rolled over them. Vivi pressed himself against the glass, watching the last of them fall into the Mist followed by the boxes that had contained them; he forced his hands so hard against the screen it fractured further creating a blurred mishmash of harsh lines.

Vivi staggered backwards, numb aside from a throbbing pain somewhere deep inside him. He stumbled back into Dagger, who clutched his shoulders and held him steady. A shadow fell across them, shutting out the orange light of the fire as it faded. Zidane gripped the helm and the frame of the now missing window; Steiner fell into the frame as well, clutching it as though he would tear it away, his teeth bared at the monster.

The third Black Waltz landed lighted on the deck before them, arms folded, still alive with an electric surge running over its body and wings. A single, narrow, angled red eye glared out at them from beneath its hat.


End file.
